Pokemon Resonance
by Nova Ozuka
Summary: A new trainer, Pokemon escaped from a lab, and a mysterious Riolu with no memory of his past. Join Zero Surama on his quest to collect all 8 badges from Johto to prove his readiness as a trainer as he faces Pokemon Hunters an Evil Team, and potentially much more. Rated T just to be safe, takes place after the games. Reviews from the readers are welcome and considered.
1. Prologue

Prologue: Poké-Rats

"We've done it! We've successfully spliced Skarmory wings onto an Umbreon!"

Zephyr opened his eyes slowly for the first time since his operation. Everything was bright and blurry. That was most likely because he was still under the effects of the drugs the scientist had put him on beforehand. It was obvious given how light headed he felt. He wasn't even sure what room he was in. He slowly slipped back into unconsciousness.

* * *

"Psst, Zephyr. Zephyr! Ey, Zephyr, wake up!"

The now metallic colored Umbreon groaned as he opened his eyes to see the armored, red ringed, Umbreon crouched down with his face at least a foot away from his own. "Ugh, Shade?" Zephyr groaned. He tried to stand and instantly regretted it as his head swam again. He was still drugged up, but it was beginning to wear off.

Now he knew what a hangover felt like. He didn't have to explain it to Shade since he was injected with the same drug for his operation a few days ago. The room he was in was the one he was familiar with: an empty room, save for his cellmate, with metal walls, reinforced windows, stone floors, and mechanical sliding doors. He looked at his new Skarmory wings.

The front most blade of each was the same metallic black the majority of his body now was, the mutation probably a side effect of Skarmory's Steel typing, while the rest glowed in perfect sync with his rings, which now were slowly lighting up before gradually fading. Again, probably from being drugged up or possibly from just being in a weakened state due to the operation. Both were very likely. The way he was now, he wasn't going to be able to tunnel out like in their original escape plan.

His large wings would get in the way of traveling through whatever tunnel he tried to dig. Even with them folded up, he just wasn't used to walking around with them. "I guess we're not breaking out any time soon," he sighed.

"I dunno about dat. I think I might be able to melt through da walls if I can make strong enough flames," Shade mentioned.

"Unfortunately, brute force isn't exactly subtle," Zephyr pointed out. "Any rumors floating around the other Pokémon?" he asked.

"Yeah, it sounded like da scientists experimenting on us are tryin' to create a new Mega Evolution," Shade replied. Zephyr's lips formed a smirk.

"Alright, change of plans. We find out who this Pokémon is, and we spring him or her with us," he explains. "It's bad enough those fools are experimenting us and holding us all here like the lab experiments we are, but now they're literally playing with forces they can't understand."

"Which is why after we're home free, we'll find a way to destroy da place," Shade agreed. He wasn't the smartest Pokémon locked up here, but he did know as well as Zephyr that this was not a place they could leave standing, but they knew of no way to destroy it on their own.

Unfortunately not many of the other Pokémon hauled up in the facility were cooperative with it. They either accepted their fate, or just didn't like Zephyr for a leader. Most of them couldn't even remember their old lives. Shade had more wires crossed than Zephyr (quite literally at that), but he still remembered most of his old life while Zephyr only remembered bits and pieces. It probably helped that the name the scientists gave Shade was the one he went by before he was locked up.

There was another problem now though. Being a winged Umbreon made hiding a lot harder. He would both be viewed as an outcast among other Pokémon, and sought after by trainers. Shade was slightly better off. After all, no trainer would even get to use him in official matches due to his armor, which, unfortunately, didn't come off. Any surgery to remove it all was risky, plus without it, he would overheat because of his own power. If either of them had any shot at hiding, it was now Shade.

Of course Zephyr already figured that he wouldn't have much time to plan an escape. No doubt those scientists were going to study him closely to see if he could use his new wings.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: A New Beginning

Zero slowly opened his eyes. He then realized he neglected to set his alarm. And he had stayed up the night before, so naturally his mother never tried to wake him. Hastily, he sat up, his blue hair tangled in a bedhead as he looked at his clock with blue eyes half open. His eyes then shot wide open. He overslept! He was supposed to be at Prof Elm's lab at 8, and it was already 10:30! He practically jumped out of bed when he began changing clothes, putting his shirt on backwards in his haste.

He then ran down stairs, tripping and falling down them in the process. He groaned in pain as he got back to his feet. He then ran to the kitchen where he snatched up a package of Oran Berry Pop Tarts. "Bye mom, I'm heading to Prof Elm's today!" he called as he put his sneakers on.

"Okay sweetie, be home in time for your party!" his mother's voice called back. As he stepped outside, he took a deep breath of fresh air.

He had only been in New Bark Town for a year and only recently managed to convince his parents to let him become a trainer. Their condition was that he had to win eight gym badges within a year. If he could manage that, then he was ready. It was hard to believe he was already preparing for said journey. Most people got to become a trainer when they turned 10, but Zero had to wait until he was twelve. He munched on his Pop Tart as he jogged over to the lab.

He then slowed to a stop and almost dropped his breakfast when he saw the cop cars parked outside. Arceus dangit, can nothing go right on his twelfth birthday? First he overslept, and then the lab got attacked for whatever reason. There was even a gaping hole in the side of the building closed off by caution tape.

"Oh come on…" he groaned before sprinting over to the entrance, where an aqua haired officer was questioning Prof Elm. "Hey, Prof Elm!" he called as he approached.

"Ah, Zero! I wish you were on time," Elm responded.

"What happened here?" Zero asked.

"Someone stole the three starter Pokémon from the lab," Prof Birch answered.

"Ugh, as if being over two hours late wasn't bad enough," Zero groaned. If he had been on time, then he'd at least have one of them meaning that only two would've been stolen. The officer cleared her throat impatiently.

"As I was saying, did you get a good look at the thief?" she asked after Elm returned his attention to her.

"I couldn't see her face through the smoke, but I could make out at least three Pokéballs on her belt" Elm responded.

"What Pokémon did she use?" the officer asked.

"The first was a Breloom, which used its spores to paralyze me and my assistants. Then the one who made the hole in the wall, a Mega Banette swooped in and snatched up the Pokéballs that held Chikorita, Totodile, and Cyndaquil," Elm explained. Zero grimaced at mention of a Mega. It certainly would complicate things.

On the other hand, with a duo of Pokémon native to Hoenn, the thief shouldn't be hard to track down, right? "Do you have any Pokémon on hand I can borrow? I have to help!" Zero told him.

"I admire your enthusiasm kid, but you should let the authorities handle this," the officer pointed out before frowning. "Unfortunately, if the thief is who I think it is, she would've already covered her trail by now well enough to avoid being tracked down. I'll have to go back to the station to know for sure," she said worriedly.

"I don't care! It's my fault that all three are missing instead of just two!" Zero pointed out. Elm chuckled at Zero's determination.

"Since you're so adamant about taking responsibility for a Pokémon you didn't even get yet, I had been researching shiny Pokémon. As luck would have it, a Shiny Noctowl seems to be more intelligent compared to regular Noctowl according to my observations," Prof Elm told Zero before reaching into the left pocket of his lab coat. "Here, take this Pokédex and the shiny Noctowl I was studying," He said as he handed them over to Zero.

"Thanks, I'll take good care of them!" Zero responded as he accepted both Pokéball and Dex. "I'll have them back as soon as we get the starters back. In the meantime, I'll see what I can find nearby while training with Noctowl," he told them.

* * *

Shade padded across the soil in the room. The room he was in was designed to look and feel just like they were outside. It was probably made that way to make the Pokémon feel more at home. Okay, so the scientists weren't that cruel, but they were still foolish in both Shade's and Zephyr's books. After all, what happens if they decided to make some sort of super Pokémon that they can't control, or some madman uses their research to splice the DNA of many different Pokémon into his own body?

…Okay, so that last one was more of a worst case scenario.

Anyway, this room offered their best chance to escape, but it was for this reason the room was under the heaviest surveillance. It was also a few days after Shade's operation. From Shade's perspective the one most likely to be subject to the upcoming Mega Evolution experiments was easily the Greninja. Aside from the Umbreon and his father, a Lucario, Greninja was the only one fully evolved, plus the three Umbreon that were in the facility had already been experimented on, and the aforementioned Lucario already could Mega Evolve.

"Hey, Shade!" Shade was snapped from his thoughts when an Eevee, which he recognized as Zephyr's little brother, who had an operation as well the day after his brother, came walking over, though Shade couldn't really notice anything new.

Either the operation was a failure, or it wasn't something they would be able to see just by looking at him. "Ey Orion," Shade greeted.

"Have you and my big bro figured out a way out yet?" he asked curiously. Shade sighed response.

"Nah, nothin' dat doesn't involve a fight. While da Greninja is probably da stealthiest outta everyone, dere's just too many a us to avoid usin' force," Shade explained. "As much your bro and I hate to admit, our best bet is gonna be an all-out fight. On da bright side, at least our new abilities give us an edge over normal Pokémon."

"Big bro probably wouldn't want me in danger, but I'll fight if I have to," the seemingly normal Eevee said.

"Atta boy," Shade beamed. _I'm probably a lot more desperate to get outta here dan he is though,_ he thought.

"Now why must you encourage him?" Shade turned to see Zephyr walking toward, covered in bruises from his crash landings.

"Looks like someone still can't fly," Shade teased.

"Oh shut up. Any landing I can walk away from is still a good one," Zephyr retorted in mock anger. "Anyway, I talked to the Greninja before I walked over. According to him, they didn't bother operating on him and mentioned something along the lines of 'he already has the mega evolution gene' while studying him. If I had to guess, they're just making a new Mega Stone since it doesn't seem like one already exists for Greninja," he told them.

"Is he onboard with bustin' outta here?" Shade asked. Zephyr smirked as he nodded.

"He did have one condition though: we take the Mega Stone with us. Can't say I blame him," he said. "Go tell your father and sister we're breaking out as soon as Greninja comes back with his Mega Stone. We do this today or die trying."

* * *

Before making his way to Route 29, Zero made a stop at his house to pick up his Pokégear and Trainer Card, which he had forgotten in his haste. Soon enough, he arrived while conversing with Elm on his Pokégear.

 _"Out of curiosity, did you decide which starter you want?"_ Prof Elm's voice came.

"Nope. Stuck on Totodile and Cyndaquil. On one hand, I get a line of Pokémon I like, on the other, I get a fire type right away, which doesn't happen often," Zero replied as he continued walking. "Anyway, I just made it to Route 29. Send me a message when you hear about the thief," he said.

 _"Will do. Good luck with Equinox,"_ Elm replied before he hung up.

Zero put his Pokégear in the pocket of his white vest before pulling out Equinox's Pokéball. "Equinox, come on out!" He threw the Pokéball, and out came the owl Pokémon, flapping her wings. Unlike regular Noctowl, this one appeared to be a lighter brown, and her wings and tail were a redder hue.

"Alright Equinox, Prof Elm's Pokemon have been stolen, and until they're returned, I'm your new trainer, understand?" he briefed the Pokémon, who nodded in response. "Great. For our first order of business, let's see what moves you can use."

As the Noctowl flew around, a barrier of sorts appeared around her. Protect? Wait, wasn't that one was spherical? This was more of a cube. Perhaps Reflect or Light Screen. Next, she let out some sort of high pitch sound from her beak. Screech? No, it seemed too wide spread for that. Next, her beak glowed as she flew toward a tree, leaving a cut in it as she quickly changed course to avoid crashing. Peck most likely.

Now Equinox landed before Zero, and its eyes started glowing. Hypnosis obviously, as Zero entered a trance like state for falling asleep.

* * *

 **Yes, I am using Ash Greninja as a Mega Evolution. Not going to lie.**


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Escape

 _"Is everyone ready?"_

 _"Simply put, yes."_

 _"So am I."_

 _"Me too!"_

 _"Hm…"_

 _"What are we waitn' for? Let's go!"_

It was a peaceful day at the lab. Or at least until one of the doors was blasted open by a combination attack. Six figures darted out. The first of which turned out to be Shade, who had a look of pure determination etched across his face. Zephyr and the others following close behind.

"Do we even have any idea where we're going?!" the Greninja asked over the blaring alarm, wearing some sort of harness with a blue and pink spherical jewel.

"Up! Where else?!" Zephyr responded.

"Why did I bother again?!" a silver furred Umbreon asked.

"Same reason as the rest of us: you either have a trainer, friend, or family you need to get back to!" Zephyr replied.

"I was being rhetorical!"

"Sis, can't we finish dis discussion outside?!" Shade asked. The silver Umbreon sighed. They skidded to a stop when their path was soon obstructed by Magnemite, Magneton, and scientists. The hall behind them was soon filled by the same. Shade growled in frustration.

There was no way they could take this many at once.

 _Gah, no! I have to see my trainer one more time! She's worried sick about me while I'm stuck here bein' their Grumpig!_ Shade thought, the sheer desperation of the moment causing his rings to be wreathed with flames as their glow intensified. "Everyone, stand back!" he warned.

The group of five behind him backed away as Shade squeezed his golden eyes shut while he gathered every bit of his strength. He shot a jet of flame out at the ceiling. Simultaneously, jets of flame shot out from each of his rings, all of which spiraled into the flames he shot at the ceiling, creating a vortex of flames.

 _I have to see her just one more time… One more time to let her know… With each word the flames wavered as they tried to gain intensity. Dat I'm still ALIVE!_ His eyes snapped open as the intensity of his flames grew, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

As soon as the flames died down, having melted a hole all the way through to the roof, Shade almost fell over as he panted. While the life support he was on kept him from overheating, it didn't prevent himself from using up his energy.

"Z-Zephyr, take da lead. I've done what I can," he told the winged Umbreon.

"Alright, Oceana, Greninja, take us up with Waterfall!" Zephyr ordered. The group surrounded Shade with the silver Umbreon and Greninja on either side.

The Umbreon raised her head upward as her sapphire rings glowed brightly, while Greninja slammed her hands onto the floor, both working together to summon a column of what to carry the group to freedom. Unfortunately, their path was once again obstructed by the manmade Electric/Steel types. The purple Lucario readied an eerie Aura Sphere between his white paws. Zephyr readied an ominous energy attack of his own, forming a shadowy orb in front of his mouth.

Suddenly, Orion's body ignited as he spontaneously became a Flareon. Shade gaped at the new Flareon in surprised. He didn't even use a stone to evolve. The Lucario and Zephyr launched their orb attacks while Orion expelled a jet of flame simultaneously. The Aura Sphere and Shadow Ball revolved around each other, wrapping themselves in Orion's Flamethrower as they merged before plowing through the cloud of steel types above and exploding shortly after.

After launching his attack, Orion's body ignited briefly again as he reverted to being an Eevee, who slumped over. Clearly his body hadn't adapted to being able to evolve temporarily yet. That or it just simply took too much energy to do. Soon enough, they reached the roof safely, Greninja grabbing Orion and the Lucario grabbing Shade as they departed.

"Everyone, split up! They'll have a harder time tracking us down that way!" Zephyr said as he took off. The Lucario slung Shade over his shoulders while Greninja carried both Orion and Oceana under his arms. They jumped off, landing on their feet, the Greninja setting Oceana down before running off with Orion.

Oceana then joined the Lucario as he followed Zephyr from below. As soon as he was a safe enough distance away, Zephyr crash landed in some nearby woods while the Lucario sat Shade down. Oceana and the Lucario then split up from Zephyr and Shade. The former groaned as he pushed himself back onto his feet.

"Now, just where are we?" he asked.

* * *

"Hey, wake up!"

Zero opened his eyes to a man with spiky blue hair kneeling over him to his left. Also standing over him to his right was Equinox. "I couldn't help but notice you asleep as I came by on my way to Kanto," the young man said.

"Yeah, this Noctowl I borrowed was showing me the moves it knew," Zero replied.

"Ah, it must've used Hypnosis then. I'm Nova, a new gym leader for the Kanto Region. And you are?"

"I'm Zero Surama. I moved here from Viridian City about a year ago," Zero replied. The young man chuckled.

"A coincidence if I ever heard one. I'm taking over the Viridian Gym so its leader can train for the Champion League," Nova responded. "How about an exhibition match? It should be good for us both," he suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Zero responded. Nova stood and walked a safe distance away as Zero got back to his feet.

"Go, Ivy!" Nova tossed a Pokéball, which released a frog like creature with a flower on her back. "This battle will be one on one. I'll give you the first move," he told Zero.

"Alright, Equinox, use Peck attack!" Zero commanded. The Noctowl took off and charged at Ivysaur.

"Ivy, counterattack with Vine Whip!" Nova commanded. A pair of vines snaked out from under the base of the plant on her back, which she whipped out into Equinox's flight path.

"Pull up!" Zero ordered. Stopping her attack, Equinox soared back up into the air.

"A fresh Noctowl or a fresh trainer. Maybe both," Nova mused to himself. "Noctowl have stronger special attacks than physical attacks. Remember that," he said. His violet eyes then emitted a faint glow as he studied Equinox, then he frowned. "I get that you told it stop in order to save it from damage, but you probably could've used Reflect to lessen it enough to damage my Ivysaur quite a bit," he pointed out.

"This is my first day with Equinox, so I couldn't tell if it was Reflect or Light Screen," Zero pointed out. _Unfortunately, with that Vine whip, it'll be hard to get in close enough for Hypnosis, and he'll expect me to use Peck now. Uproar should be saved for Sleep Powder, provided his Ivysaur even knows it,_ he thought.

"Razor Leaf!" Zero was snapped from his thoughts when Ivy launched a flurry of leaves at Equinox "Reflect!" he ordered. The same barrier that he saw form around Equinox from before appeared, blocking half the damage. "We can't expect to win, but we can try! Use Peck!" he ordered. Equinox dived down, her beak glowing once more.

"Ivy, use Vine Whip to jump, then use Body Slam!" Nova commanded. Ivy slammed the ground with her vines, catapulting herself just above equinox before landing on her with a belly flop, causing the pair to crash into the ground.

After the dust settled, Ivy got up to reveal a fainted Equinox. Nova recalled his Ivysaur as he walked over, and then pulled a diamond shaped object from the side pouch of his white backpack. "The battle was already decided by the lack of experience you have and by the difference in strength between our Pokémon," he explained as he slipped the object into Equinox's mouth.

Soon after, Equinox woke up and got back to her feet. "I'd evolve my Ivysaur, but she's not going to be ready for a gym battle until she learns a Special Attack. Like Noctowl, she isn't exactly the best physical attacker," he told Zero.

"If I can ask, how did you know Equinox knew Reflect?" Zero asked.

"Simple, I can see a Pokémon's stats and moves when I focus on them," Nova answered. Zero whistled. What he would give to have an ability as useful as that. "Do you have an ability like that?" he asked. Zero was taken aback when he heard this.

"What do you mean 'ability'?" Zero asked.

"Well some trainers, like Pokémon, have something only they can do in most circumstances. This is commonly referred to as their ability," Nova explained.

"Ah, well I don't have anything that useful, but when I hear a Pokémon speak, I can understand the general meaning of what they're saying, Probably because I played with the wild Pokémon of Viridian Forest so often back in Kanto," Zero explained. Nova chuckled.

"First I find a kid that has an earpiece that does it for him, now I meet one that naturally understands Pokémon," he said mostly to himself. "If you do have any other abilities, I'm sure you'll discover them," he said as he walked over. He then pulled Zero's Pokédex out of his jacket pocket. "And I know you can use mine with this. It was on the ground next to you," Nova told Zero as he returned the Pokédex.

"Thanks for the tips," Zero told him. "Good luck with being a gym leader."

"Good luck to you too. Oh, and I think there's something you might want to see on Route 46," Nova responded. "Take care of yourselves!" he said before sprinting off suddenly.

"Hey, wait! What were you talking about?!" Zero called after Nova. His question seemed to fall on deaf ears. "Oh well. C'mon Equinox! We may as well check it out."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: A New Evolution

Zephyr and Shade panted. They seemed to be safe with no sign of scientists or their Pokémon in sight. "Think… da others… made it?" Shade panted.

"Of course… We were… in worse shape… than they were…" Zephyr responded. After the two Umbreon caught their breath, they took a closer look at their surroundings.

They were surrounded by trees. It would be unlikely for them to be spotted here. Or so Zephyr thought until he noticed a shadow soar overhead. Zephyr looked up in time to see a Noctowl turning around. Most wild Pokémon would ignore it, but he knew better. It was a telltale sign that a trainer was looking for something. Zephyr groaned in frustration.

"How much longer are we going to have to run?" he muttered mostly to himself.

"Wait, maybe if you're seen with me, then you'll get mistaken for a trainer's Pokémon. I clearly belong to someone," Shade pointed out.

"Still, we can't take any chances," Zephyr replied, unsure of which way to run. The direction the Noctowl went was a no, and they couldn't turn around. Plus they had no idea where they even were. Going left or right could take them to a town for all they know.

There was a rustling of bushes as a blue haired boy approached; a shiny Noctowl perched on his wrist. Well, too late to run now, they've been spotted. A fight would probably attract unwanted attention.

"Well what do you know? An Umbreon with wings, and another with armor," the boy said. He kneeled down looking at Shade first. "Is your trainer around?" he asked. Shade managed a nonchalant shrug. "I see. I guess I can take care of you until you find your trainer." Shade beamed as he heard this. "I just have one condition." Zephyr groaned. "I'm going to need your friend here to join my team. I'm trying to catch a thief, and with a Pokémon as unique as a winged Umbreon, no Pokémon thief would be able to resist."

"Well on the bright side, at least he has a noble cause. I don't know about his motives," Zephyr told Shade.

"Well the sooner I catch the thief, the sooner I can get the Johto starter Pokémon back for Prof Elm and return his Noctowl," the boy explained, taking the Pokémon by surprise, the Noctowl too for some reason albeit less so than the Umbreon. "Don't give me that look. I told you and Nova that I could understand what a Pokémon is generally saying," he reminded the Noctowl after noticing her beak was a gape.

"I had no idea he was serious," she admitted.

"Well as long as you keep me away from the scientists that put these wings on me, I have no objections," Zephyr told the boy. The boy smiled nonchalantly.

"Consider it done," he responded as he pulled an empty Pokéball out of his pocket. He then frowned. "Wait, did the same scientist put that armor on you?" he asked Shade.

"Yeah, after I was taken from my trainer," Shade answered. As the boy seemed to be putting two and two together, the Noctowl adopted an astonished expression.

"I believe we may have a common enemy. From my comprehension, the thief that attacked the lab and the one who Poké-knapped you could be one and the same," she mentioned.

"Great," Zephyr responded sarcastically. If their thief was in league with the scientists, then it was likely to get him caught and dragged back there, lest the public knows of their secret and potentially cruel experiments.

"I hope she's da same person. I'd love to settle da score," Shade said.

"Well then, this works out perfectly! I get to save the three Pokémon that I was going to choose from, and you get a chance to help bring her to justice," the boy said. "Unfortunately, I won't be setting out today. My mom will be worried sick if I didn't show up for the party she planned for me."

"I'd hate to point this out, but the longer we wait, the harder that thief will be to find," Zephyr pointed out.

"Then we don't wait," the boy replied, taking his Pokégear out of his pocket. Unlike the old Pokégear, this one had a touch screen, not unlike a smart phone. The boy then began typing a message. "I'm letting my mom know that I won't be home in time for my party. I can celebrate my twelfth birthday after we catch our thief," he explained.

"So where are we anyway?" Zephyr asked as the boy sent his message.

"Route 46 in Johto," the boy answered as he put his Pokégear away. Zephyr gaped in shock. He had been dragged away from his home in Kanto! But why go outside of Johto for an Umbreon?

…Unless the lab was near the border of Johto and Kanto. That must've been it. They just ran in the wrong direction. Oh well.

* * *

Zero returned to Route 29 with Zephyr (albeit inside a Pokéball) and Shade. He still wondered how Nova knew Zephyr and Shade were going to be on Route 46 if he knew at all. All he needed to know was that Zephyr was technically his second Pokémon. Whether or not he would become his first Pokémon officially would have to wait until they've done what they sat out to do: find the thief. According to a message from Prof Elm, the culprit was a Pokémon Hunter called Charlemagne.

All he needed to know was how she fought-the Pokédex would tell him want he needed about her Pokémon-and where to find her. His best guess was Cherrygrove City. It was the closest town or city to New Bark Town. As they walked, a blue bipedal dog darted out of the bushes behind them. The duo turned in time to see him get struck in the back by a bolt of electricity. The dog staggered forward before collapsing. Then five light blue and black cats leapt out of the bushes. Shade and Zero ran between them and the canine Pokémon.

The cats-Shinx according to the Pokédex-had such a crazed look in their eyes, Zero was almost surprised they weren't foaming at the mouth. "Shade, we need a barrier. _Now_ ," Zero told the Umbreon.

"(One firewall comin' up!)" Shade responded. He shot a vortex of flames from his mouth into the sky, which came down around them like a literal wall of flame. The heat didn't do much to help their situation, but the flames at least kept the Shinx at bay.

According to his Pokédex, the Pokémon the Shinx were chasing was a Riolu, which was covered in injuries; his eyes were squeezed shut as he lay on his stomach. Zero frowned. _Wait, Riolu can't be found on Route 29. What's going on here?_ he wondered. He looked to his Pokedex for answers to nfind the Riolu was merely level 1 and knew no moves. No wonder he was running. He was completely helpless! And Zero had no time to babysit the Riolu, as cold as it sounded.

"(H-Head hurts… C-Can't focus…)" the Riolu groaned, snapping Zero from his thoughts.

Zero now realized how tightly the Riolu had his eyes squeezed shut. "Hang on, everything is going to be alright!" he assured the Riolu. With five Shinx waiting to pounce, Zero wasn't so sure of himself. What truly frightened him was the look that all five had.

Even with all the time he had spent around wild Pokémon, not even he had seen a look like that in a Pokémon's eyes. Just what was causing those Shinx to be like that? He pulled an Oran Berry out of his pocket and held it front of the Riolu's mouth.

"Try eating this," Zero suggested. The Riolu, not opening his eyes for an instant, slowly opened his mouth. Zero placed the berry in the Riolu's mouth, who then ate it in two bites, chewing it slowly. The Riolu slowly opened one of his eyes to look up at Zero.

"Sit back and rest for now, but be ready to run again just to be safe," Zero instructed before pulling Zephyr's Pokéball off his belt. He then silently opened the aforementioned Pokéball. "Shade, lower your firewall on the count of three. Zephyr, I want you to launch a Shadow Ball at the closest Shinx as soon as flames die down," he instructed.

Zephyr nodded. Shade would do so as well if he weren't busy holding his Fire Spin. "1… 2… 3!" Shade stopped spewing flames, allowing the barrier to fall. Zephyr, also following the instructions given, readied a Shadow Ball.

He was about to follow the instructions he was given when the Riolu let out a primal cry out of a mixture of pain and desperation. The trio turned their heads around as the Riolu then gave off a blue light as his form began changing. Once both his screams and glow died down, a taller Pokémon pushed himself onto his feet before turning around to look at the Shinx. He had a sort of glazed look in his eyes, as if he was being controlled by something. Zero checked his Pokédex again to see that the Riolu had change into a Lucario.

Not only that, but his level had risen to 30! "Okay, there is no way that's normal," Zero muttered to himself. A blue orb of energy appeared in the Lucario's paws as it lunged at the closest Shinx, knocking him into another with a Force Palm.

One down already. He then jumped over a charging Shinx using an electrical attack before bringing his paw down on the offender, scoring another hit. Two down, three to go. The Shinx that had another knocked into him pounced, trying to bite the Lucario with Thunder Fang, but found himself flying past Lucario before being flung into another Shinx by a Force Palm. Two left. As a fourth tried to come in, Zephyr blasted him with a Shadow Ball while Shade fired a stream of dark aura from his mouth at the remaining Shinx.

Sensing his aggressors had all been defeated, the Lucario formed an orb of blue aura. He then slammed the orb into the ground, causing a dome of aura to engulf the group. What it did exactly, Zero was unsure. The Lucario's eyes then rolled back into his head as he collapsed. He was bathed in blue light as he reverted back to a Riolu.

"Well, that was random," Zero stated as he walked over to the Riolu, who lay passed out on the dirt path. Zero's eyes then widened as he noticed how shallow the Riolu's breathing was. Zero pulled a pink Pokéball with tan shapes on the bottom extending over the blue ring wrapped around it out of his pocket.

 _"Zero, I may not be home in time for your party tomorrow or even to see you off. That's why I'm giving you an early gift. This Heal Ball will fully restore any Pokémon it catches,"_ his father's words rang in his head. He tapped the button against the Riolu's prone form, fearing that bringing him to a Pokémon Center would take too long.

The ball opened, sucking the Riolu in as his body became a white light. The ball shook once before clicking, signaling that the Riolu had been caught. Due to the state of extreme exhaustion said Riolu appeared to be in, he wasn't able to resist being caught. Looking through the top of the Heal Ball, the Riolu seemed in better shape. He also appeared to be asleep. Zero heaved a sigh of relief.

"Good work you two," he said to both Umbreon as he recalled Zephyr. He then took a look at the Pokédex. The Riolu's Level wasn't 30 anymore, but it was still a few levels higher than when he first found it. He didn't retain Bone Rush either, but he at least had a few moves now. How weird… Zero noted. Just who was this Riolu?


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: From Zero to Hero

Zero sat on a wooden bench, Shade sitting on the ground beside it and the Riolu sprawled out across the remaining half of the bench, still out cold. At least his breathing wasn't shallow now. As the trio rested there, Zero thought about how he could possibly lure out their thief. He could send out Zephyr or Equinox and have them soar over Cherrygrove City. Nah, too obvious. They could put on some sort of act. Nope, too much attention. They'd have better luck sitting around as they already were. Zero rubbed his temples.

All of this planning was giving him a headache. Their best bet was to walk around casually, and they only had bad options. "This is not how my twelfth birthday was supposed to go," he groaned. "I was supposed to spend the day with my starter Pokémon and learn all about it, have my party, and then start my adventure tomorrow, but then all of this happened. Instead of getting to have fun, I'm stuck trying to figure out what to do."

"(Well, why are ya goin' through so much trouble for a few Pokémon?)" Shade asked.

"I was supposed to get one of them today as a gift from Prof Elm. If I hadn't overslept, I'd have one of them, and only two would have been taken," Zero explained. "Naturally, I'm going to save all three if I can help it since I never really decided which one I wanted anyway."

"(Seems legit.)"

If Zero were lucky, Zephyr could take on that Banette while Shade took out Breloom. Unless Zephyr had a flying type move, Shade was the best choice for tackling the grass type, and Equinox would be saved for the hypothetical third due to being the weakest Pokémon on the team aside from the Riolu. He would keep Riolu safe in his Heal Ball until it was over. With any luck, they'd attract just the attention Zero needed with the epic battle. After all, he wasn't about to let Charlemagne slip. At least not without getting the starters. They were more important after all.

Zero turned to the sleeping Riolu. After this was all over, he would get to go home even if he failed and still get to spend a day with at least one Pokémon he could show to his friends and family. He had decided Zephyr would be his secret. It wasn't like the original intention of his journey was fame or glory, and he had a feeling that Zephyr didn't want that much attention. After all, if you in all likelihood were not only the only winged Umbreon, but one with the wings of a Skarmory, you didn't want that much attention unless you were the type that loves it.

That was part of the reason Zero never bothered with suggesting that they remained partners even after catching their thief since Zephyr didn't seem all that keen on a lot of attention at least according to Shade. But was it right to keep Zephyr cooped up in his new Pokéball whenever they were in a town or city? No, probably not. That meant they'd spend most of their time camping out, not that Zero had anything against it. That made the Riolu his first real Pokémon, even if he had no real roll in catching him. He just wanted the Riolu to live.

He was snapped from his thoughts when he noticed the Riolu starting to wake.

* * *

 _"You are in need of power, and I am in need of a body. Let me borrow your body, and I will give you the power you need right now."_

The blue canine stirred before waking. He blinked twice before he stared at the bluenette in bewilderment. "Where am I?" the doglike Pokémon asked.

"Cherrygrove City in the Johto Region," the boy stated matter-of-factly. "If you don't mind me asking, how did a Riolu like you find yourself out here?"

"A Riolu?" the aforementioned Pokémon repeated in confusion. The boy took a mobile device from his pocket, activating the camera and using its screen as a mirror. _I-I'm really a Pokémon… Was I always like this?_ the Riolu wondered. He frowned at the thought. _How do I even remember what Pokémon are? I can't even remember my name…_ His brow furrowed at this realization.

The boy seemed to notice the Riolu's troubled expression. "Is something wrong?" he asked.

"This is going to sound silly, but… I can't remember my name. I can't remember if I was always a Riolu either," the Riolu answered.

"An amnesiac Riolu? Dats a new one." The Riolu jumped before the speaker walked in front of the bench. He was black , but covered in metal armor. "I remember bed time stories about amnesiacs like you who claimed to be human before, but at least you didn't claim to remember that," he said.

Now it was the boy's turned to look puzzled. "You heard stories about human turned Pokémon growing up?" he asked.

"Yep, and almost every one of them had amnesia," the armored Pokémon answered. He then turned his attention back to the Riolu. "But you can't remember if you were human before let alone a Riolu like you are now. …What was your name again?" The boy gave the Pokémon a light thump on the metal plate on his head.

"He just said he couldn't remember his name," the boy reminded the quadruped, earning a sheepish smile from him. The Riolu sweat dropped. "Anyway, I guess we should do something about that first," the boy said, returning his attention to the Riolu. He studied the black and blue Pokémon closely. "Rio," he said after a few moments.

"Huh?" the Riolu responded.

"Rio. It's not too original, but it's what I'm going to call you until you remember your name," the boy replied.

"I guess that's one problem taken care of…" the newly dubbed Rio muttered. "What happened to those Pokémon that were chasing me?" he asked.

"Don't you remember? You somehow evolved into a Lucario temporarily and kicked the tar out of most of those Shinx while Shade here and Zephyr, another Umbreon, took down the last two. Then I think you did something with aura before you passed out," the boy explained. Rio looked fairly skeptic, but didn't say anything. After all, they had reason to be skeptical of him.

On the other hand… their story wasn't exactly believable. The boy suddenly pulled two spherical objects from his pocket. He tossed one, releasing a light brown owl with red wings. "I guess we'll finish this later. I have a few Pokémon to go save," the boy told Rio as he held out a pink and tan ball. Then a red beam shot from the ball, striking Rio before he found himself being sucked inside.

* * *

Zero walked around with Equinox flying nearby, Shade walking alongside him, and Rio and Zephyr safely in their balls. He intended on using Zephyr as the bait for his trap, but Zephyr would stand out more than any Noctowl. In fact, he might stand out too well. They had been walking for an hour. Finally, Zero decided to turn into an alley way for a break. Then, thinking about the off chance they had been followed, Zero let Zephyr out of his ball.

"(I thought I was the bait for the trap,)" Zephyr stated. He didn't seem to care much about not being the bait after all.

"There's no easy way to do this. Once I thought more about it, I realized that as perfect as you are for this, we'd just draw too much attention," Zero explained. He was choosing his words carefully. If he was lucky, he could finally get this done, but he didn't want anyone to know he suspected anything if he did get followed.

"(That's fair. I didn't like the idea anyway,)" Zephyr replied, a smirk now plastered across his muzzle. Judging from his reaction, he couldn't tell if the plan had worked. "(Though I don't see why anyone would try to take Equinox out in public, even if she is a shiny.)"

"I guess you're right. I would've been better off babysitting Rio right now," Zero agreed

"(Hm… a most peculiar situation. We're trying to lure out a thief, and yet our best option for bait isn't viable simply because the bait is too good, and I doubt Zero wants to wait all night for our thief to show herself,)" Equinox mused as she perched nearby on a trash can. She cocked her head as she thought about this.

"I'd like to be able to get some sleep tonight before I head on home," Zero agreed. The two winged Pokémon and trainer thought deeply about this.

"(…I smell a Breloom,)" Shade said. Zero's eyes grew wide as he heard this, turning to the armored Umbreon to see him wearing a worried frown, which only deepened at the trainer's expression.

"Everyone, move!" Zero shouted urgently. The group snapped from their thoughts as they jumped back, a cloud of spores drifting down from above. "I was wondering when I'd get you to come out, Charlemagne" Zero said as he looked up to see a woman covered in meal armor standing a top of one of the roofs with a Breloom.

She and the Breloom jumped down, the woman sinking down on to her left knee and using her left arm to right herself before she stood. "I see you've heard of me. Then you know what I'm after," she responded.

"I do, but that's not what matters to me. Instead, it's what I'm after. Now hand over the starters!" Zero told her.

"And how are you going to make me? Breloom, Stun Spore!" Charlemagne ordered.

"Shade, Flamethrower," Zero calmly ordered. The Breloom released a cloud of golden spores, but they were burned away as a jet of fire cut through them, burning the Breloom in the process. Charlemagne gritted her teeth in frustration. "Now that you've lost the element of surprise, you can't capture my Pokémon, and I'm not letting you leave until you hand over the starters," Zero pointed out.

"Tch." Charlemagne grabbed a Pokéball and tossed it into the air. Out came a gray doll like Pokémon wearing some sort of collar with a stone on it. "Banette, Mega Evolve!" Charlemagne pressed down on a stone in her arm guard.

Tendrils of light shot out from her Mega Arm Guard and Banette's gem stone. The tendrils then collided as Banette became engulfed in an orb of light that seemed to solidify. It broke away, revealing more zippers on the newly Mega Evolved Pokémon. Zero only smirked, feigning cockiness.

"Saw that coming. Zephyr, Dark Pulse!" Zephyr fired a stream of dark energy from his mouth at the Mega Banette. The attack however hit air as Mega Banette disappeared. Now it was Zero's turn to be surprised as he scanned the alleyway for signs of the Mega Pokémon.

"(Behind you!)" Equinox warned. Zephyr, who had been searching for his target, turned his head as Mega Banette finished reappearing. No time to dodge, Zephyr found himself tackled, skidding across the ground. Zephyr pushed himself back on his feet.

 _Three against two, and it's still not going to be easy at all,_ Zero realized. With this realization, he feared he may have to pit his helpless Riolu against the Banette and Breloom. _What should I do?_

"Breloom, use Mach Punch!"

Zero was snapped from his thoughts as Charlemagne's Breloom shot forward. "Shade, look out! Equinox, intercept with Peck!" Shade leapt back as Equinox dive-bombed Breloom with her glowing beak. Breloom tripped as Equinox swept his leg out from under him. "Zephyr, take to the air and use Dark Pulse!"

Zephyr flapped his wings as he propelled himself into the air. He ten Open his mouth to fire a Dark Pulse, but nothing came. Zero looked at the Mega Banette as she cackled. There was a strange glow in her eyes. Zero noticed this glow around Zephyr as well.

"(The wretched toy knows Disable. That complicates things,)" Equinox noted. Zero grit his teeth in frustration. No wonder this Pokémon Hunter hadn't been arrested yet. But when did it use Disable? Zero pointed his Pokédex at the Banette.

 _Prankster?! So that's how it was able to use Disable so quickly,_ Zero noted.

"Banette, Shadow Claw!" Zero snapped from his thoughts as Banette floated into the air with an eerie energy encasing Mega Banette's arm, forming claws.

"Equinox, Reflect!" A cubic barrier appeared around Zephyr as the Mega Pokémon tried to strike him with her claws. Zephyr already resisted ghost type moves, but Reflect cut the damage in half. _I knew this wasn't going to be easy, but it won't be impossible,_ Zero thought.

Whatever move he tried on Banette would get disabled just like Dark Pulse. Equinox only knew a single move that could even damage it. "Breloom, rapid Mach Punch!"

"Not happening! Shade, use Torment!" Zero commanded. Shade stomped his front paw and let out a cry as Breloom advanced. The Breloom stopped short, stopping its onslaught of attacks before they started. "Sorry, but if I can't use the same move twice in a row, neither can you," Zero told Charlemagne.

"Breloom, Seed Bomb!" Breloom lobbed a large seed at Shade.

"Shade, use Flamethrower!" Shade shot a jet of flames from his mouth, which intercepted the explosive projectile, causing it to explode harmlessly in the air. "Equinox, Peck!" Equinox flew in while Breloom was distracted and pecked him with her glowing beak. "Now, Fire Fang!"

Shade jumped out of the smoke screen that resulted in the Seed Bomb and clamped his flaming maw on Breloom. Unfortunately, some spores fell of Breloom and onto Shade. Shade passed out on the ground. …As did Breloom a few seconds after. Zero smirked. Shade played his role and took down Breloom.

"Zephyr, Shadow Ball!" Zephyr launched an orb of dark energy only for the Banette to vanish. "Now dive!" Not needing to be told twice, Zephyr dived toward the ground. As he was about to pull up, Banette appeared before him and rammed him head on. Zephyr fell to the ground unconscious.

"Shinx, Thunder Bolt!" a familiar voice called out.

On cue, four bolts of lightning shot out from the shadows, striking the Banette. From where each one came, a Shinx prowled out of the Shadows. A figure jumped from one of the windows, silhouetted against the sun. The figure landed in front of Zero, revealing himself to be the would-be gym leader from before. Another thing Zero noticed as he recalled Zephyr was that they were the same Shinx that Rio, Zephyr, and Shade fought off earlier, though they seemed to act a lot more normal.

"Nova!" Zero exclaimed.

"Sorry for interrupting, but I believe you have some Pokémon that belong to me," Nova said as he glared at the Pokémon Hunter. He then returned the yellow disk he had been carrying to his backpack. He snapped his fingers and a fifth came out of the shadows, knocking Charlemagne to the ground.

"If I were you, I'd hand over the Pokémon you stole. I'd hate to let this get messy," Nova warned.

"Don't you think that's going a little too far?" Zero asked.

"Zero, she took the Pokémon I consider both friends and family from me. I'm sure you'd do the same thing in my position," Nova responded. "At least I'm giving her a choice instead of outright killing her without a thought. I do have standards after all."

"Nova, I swear if you try to take her life, I'll have Equinox hypnotize you. She isn't worth it," Zero pointed out.

"How naïve. She's the type of person that doesn't give a Rattata's ass about any Pokémon, even her own. She would leave them behind to save her own skin," he replied.

"That may be true, but my Banette is no better. She cares very little for me as well," Charlemagne admitted with a smirk.

"See? Told ya," Nova stated. He shifted his glare to Banette, who was searching for her own way out. She was unsure of the Shinx's strength. Then she set her sights on Nova. "Zero, when I tell you to, drop to the ground," he whispered quietly. Zero turned his gaze to Banette.

"May as well call off the Shinx now. I can't control my Banette, and you don't seem to like the idea of bloodying your hands," Charlemagne pointed out. Banette vanished.

…

"Now!" Nova broke the tense silence after a few seconds. Zero dropped to the ground with him as Banette reappeared, flying overhead before she was struck by four Thunder Bolts. Equinox joined in with a Peck.

Zero bolted forward and knelt down to Shade. "C'mon, I need you! The others can't hold off Banette much longer!" Zero said as he tried to shake the Umbreon awake.

"(Five more minutes…)" Shade moaned, prompting Zero to shake him harder. "(Alright, alright, I'm up!)" he responded before opening his eyes.

"Dark Pulse now!" Zero ordered as he pointed at Banette, who was trying to avoid multiple bolts of electricity. Shade launched a Dark Pulse at the Mega Banette. Banette vanished again before tackling the Shinx that stood on Charlemagne. "Equinox, help me with Charlemagne!"

As the Pokémon Hunter got back to her feet, Zero and Equinox rushed over to her. Equinox flew into her face, clawing her with her talons. As this was going on, Zero tackled her to the ground from behind. Charlemagne pushed the young trainer off of her. When she caught sight of the trainer, she noticed he was holding a Pokéball.

"Go, Chikorita!" Zero tossed the Pokéball into the air, and out came the little dino with a leaf on her head. Charlemagne grit her teeth in frustration. Before she could make her next move, Nova barreled into her. Chikorita and Zero looked at each other as Nova wrestled Charlemagne for his Pokémon.

Finally, there was a flash as a white Lucario appeared and pinned Charlemagne down. Nova clipped six Pokéballs onto his belt before tossing two more to Zero. When Zero caught them, he saw that Totodile and Cyndaquil were inside them. He then tossed another Pokéball into the air. He recalled the Shinx one by one. Next, he tossed a new Pokéball into the air.

"Bolt, Iron Tail!" A Raichu came out of the ball as the Banette managed to avoid a Dark Pulse from Shade, striking her with his glowing tail. There was a flash of light as Banette fainted, her Mega Evolution ending. Shade sat on the ground panting.

Then a brown floating Pokémon knocked the white and gold Lucario off Charlemagne and teleported her a safe distance as she got back to her feet. Then she recalled her Banette and Breloom before teleporting away again. Zero sighed.

"I hate to say it, but she's good at what she does," Zero admitted. He turned to Nova to see him smiling for the first time since his arrival.

"Honestly? I'm just glad to get my Pokémon back," Nova stated as he recalled his Raichu and Lucario. "If she hadn't caught me with my guard down, she wouldn't stand a chance against me."

"What were you thinking?"

"I told you what I was thinking. If you had Pokémon that were like family to you taken away by her, wouldn't you do the same as me?"

Zero thought about this for a moment. "I-I guess you're right, but that doesn't make what you would've done considered right."

"When she isn't hired, she sells the Pokémon she catches to the highest bidders, and there's some nasty things people do to Pokémon. …Like putting that armor on that Umbreon. You can't tell me that it's comfortable," Nova pointed out.

"(He's right. I can't stand wearing this, but it won't come off,)" Shade agreed. Zero sighed.

"I give up. You're nuts. You know that, right?" Zero pointed out.

"Nuts _and_ right," Nova responded. "Anyway, I'd better release those Shinx where I caught them on my way to Viridian," he said, taking on a more serious expression.

"That reminds me, why are they acting so differently from when I saw them?" Zero asked.

"How so?"

"They were acting like they were rabid, yet they weren't foaming at the mouth. They were also chasing a Riolu," Zero explained. Nova seemed to take this into consideration.

"In that case, I'll drop them by Prof Elm's or take them to Prof Oak in Kanto instead," he decided. "In the meantime, you and your Pokémon stay at Cherrygrove's Pokémon Center at least until tomorrow morning just to be safe."

"Oh alright. At least it sounds like a sane plan," Zero agreed.


	6. Chapter 5

**It's your neighborhood friendly Aura Master again for a quick Author's Note. This chapter was inspired purely by the story Phases of Change by Skaterblog. If you haven't already, check it out. She won't bite, I promise. :P**

 **Also, to our guest reviewer, Nazo, while it isn't a bad suggestion for Zero to be afraid of something, I should point out 3 reasons why it wouldn't be ghost types.**

 **1: Zero has a Normal Type and two Dark Types on hand. He has no rational reason to be afraid of Ghost Types.**

 **2: Zero is from Viridian and lived there most of his life. Ghost types aren't really found there**

 **3: Seeing as how his parents wouldn't let him start his journey until his 12** **th** **birthday, they don't really seem the type to let Zero watch a scary movie.**

 **All things considered, there's no logical reason for him to have an irrational fear of Ghost Types either, but I can tell you he's not too keen on the thought of running into Charlemagne a second time.**

 **Well what are we waiting for? The fifth chapter awaits!**

* * *

Chapter 5: Center of Attention

After Nova left, Zero found himself walking to the Pokémon Center alongside Shade with Chikorita and Equinox safely in their Pokéballs. As they walked, Zero only just noticed the looks Shade was getting, not that he seemed to care. They must've been too busy with luring Charlemagne earlier for Zero to notice.

"So, Shade, what's your story? You never told me," Zero asked.

"(Ya want to know my story, huh? Well I guess I can tell ya,)" Shade responded. Even more eyes seemed to be on Zero and Shade now. This would be something Zero would have to get used to.

"(Alright, ya know I'm a trainer's Pokémon, right? Well the reason you're thinking dat has nothing to do with her. This armor? Scientists put it on me so my new Fire Typing, which they also gave me, wouldn't cause me to overheat. Da same scientists also put Skarmory wings on Zephyr. Da Pokémon Hunter from earlier was the one dat separated me from my trainer.

Next thing I know, I'm in a cell with Zephyr at da lab. After they experimented on us, we teamed up with his little brother, my sister, my father, and a Greninja in order to break out. Not sure where da others went, but you know everything dat happened after dat,)" Shade explained.

"Well that explains the armor, and I guess all the Fire Type moves you've been able to use. What was your trainer like?" Zero responded.

"(Can't remember her as much as I'd like to admit, and it sucks. I think she was a little older than you, lavender hair, red and black jacket, and a pair of jeans. Expect her to have a Charmeleon or Charizard,)" Shade answered. If Zero had to guess, Shade's Trainer was from Kanto. Guess who doesn't live in Kanto anymore.

"Well, it's not much, but it's something to go on," Zero stated. After a few more minutes of walking, the duo finally reached the center. As soon as they walked in, Shade attracted a few more curious stares, even from the pink haired nurse at the desk. As soon as they reached her, she put a smile back on her face.

"Welcome to the Pokémon Center! How can I help you?" she asked

"Uh… Weren't you at Viridian City's Pokémon Center?" Zero asked.

"Oh, that Nurse Joy is my cousin," Nurse Joy explained.

 _They look exactly the same to me. …Then again, it has been 3 years since I've been there,_ Zero thought. "…Anyway, I need some Pokémon checked, and a room for the night," he said as he pulled the six Pokéballs from his pockets. He then picked up Shade and sat him on the counter, causing Joy to frown.

"Before you ask why I have seven, I need the Chikorita, Totodile, and Cyndaquil sent to Prof Elm's lab as well. I was supposed to return them to him, but I'm not going to be able to make it back there today," he explained, noticing Joy's change of expression.

"Alright, I'll be right back," Nurse Joy said as she took the six Pokéballs and lead Shade into a different room. Zero turned around to see several curious eyes on him.

"Alright, out with it," he told them.

"Why was that Umbreon wearing armor?" one trainer asked.

"I'm afraid that answer will have to wait until he gets back in the room. Can I tell you how I came across instead him while we wait?" Zero responded. A nod came from the trainer. "Well if I'm telling stories, may as well start from the beginning," he stated.

"My name is Zero Surama, and I was born in Viridian City. I lived there for eight years with my parents. I spent most of my time sneaking off to Viridian Forest where I played with wild Pokémon. I was friends with some of the Pokémon that lived there. I soon grew to understand how Pokémon speak. Then we moved to New Bark Town here in Johto.

I've been living there for about three years before I finally convinced my parents to let me become a Pokémon Trainer for my twelfth birthday, which is actually today, but anyway, I wasn't planning on starting my journey officially until tomorrow. Then I forgot to set my alarm last night," Zero paused briefly. "I was supposed to be at Prof Elm's lab today at 8:30 in the morning. Guess when I woke up. I woke up at 10:30."

Zero stopped again, letting it sink in. A few of the trainers cracked smiles. "So yeah, I rushed myself to get dressed, fell down the stairs, and ran out the door while stuffing an Oran Berry Pop Tart into my mouth, all while running over two hours late," he told them, earning a few laughs. "That was the funny part. Then I found out how badly I screwed up when I found out the lab was attacked while I was in bed.

When I got there, I found out a Pokémon Hunter named Charlemagne stole the three starter Pokémon I was supposed to choose from this morning. So then I borrowed a Noctowl named Equinox and went out on a mission: to find Charlemagne and get the Pokémon back. I head out to Route 29 with only a Pokédex, a Heal Ball, two Pokéballs, and an Oran Berry to go with Equinox. Then after having Equinox show me what she can do, I run into a trainer named Nova.

He floored us with his Ivysaur, but not without giving me a few helpful tips, a couple of which came in handy later today. Then, after giving Equinox a Revive, he headed toward New Bark Town on his way to Viridian City and sent me to Route 46. That's when I met two Umbreon. One was the armored one I walked in here with named Shade, and the other had the wings of a Skarmory named Zephyr," he finished.

"Excuse me sir," Zero turned to see Nurse Joy holding Shade in her arms. "I've just finished checking your Pokémon, and they're all fine now," she said. Shade jump out of her arms and landed beside Zero.

"Perfect timing!" Zero said as he was handed the Pokéballs (and Heal Ball) containing his Pokémon. He tossed them into the air.

Zephyr and Rio landed in front of him while Equinox slowly floated down, landing on the desk. The moment Zephyr saw where he was and that most of the eyes in the center where on him, he shot Zero a glare as if feeling betrayed.

"Don't give me that look. I never said I wouldn't attract any attention to you. Besides, a little fame might just help keep Charlemagne from getting you," Zero pointed out.

"(Fine,)" Zephyr sighed.

"Anyway, now that Shade and Zephyr are in here, I can get their part of the story, but since I have to translate for you, it's going to take a while," Zero told the crowd of trainers.

* * *

Over the next hour, Zero translated what Zephyr and Shade have been through, some of it surprising even himself. He told the trainers about Shade's Fire typing and how they implanted the armor, to which Shade added how much he detested the armor and how it won't come off, and then moved on to retelling how they put Skarmory Wings on Zephyr.

Then he went on to describe how they made their captivity easier on them and to other Pokémon, like the Pokémon sharing their cells with another, and the room they got to hang out in, which was designed to look just like the outside world. Then he told them of their escape, how Shade burned a hole through the roof, his sister and a Greninja used Waterfall to carry everyone out, and how Shade's father, Zephyr, and Zephyr's little brother blasted away the Magnemite and Magneton trying to stop them.

Then he told them how they split up and how Zephyr and Shade eventually ran into them. Then he told how them of their agreement, Zephyr helping him save the starter Pokémon as long as he helped Shade find his trainer, stopping to give them Shade's description of the trainer and asking them to have her contact him, and then moving on to how they found Rio being chased by a pack of crazed Shinx. He then told them how Zephyr and Shade worked together help save Rio.

Then he moved on to how he found out that Rio had no memories of his past after he arrived in Cherrygrove and how he tried to lure out Charlemagne. He then told him how he stopped at an alley let Zephyr out to test if he was being followed or not and how he was going to try to get his story if they weren't. Then he told them how they fought Charlemagne when she showed herself, about her Breloom, Mega Banette, and how Nova showed up to save his Pokémon as well and using the five Shinx from earlier.

Then he told them how he and Nova each ended up tackling Charlemagne to the ground, and how Nova used Lucario to pin her to the ground while sending out his Raichu to blindside the Banette and finish the battle. Then he finished the story by telling how Charlemagne escaped using her Claydol.

* * *

"Any questions?" Zero asked.

"Can Zephyr really fly?" a trainer asked.

"I would show you, but there really isn't enough room in here," Zero answered.

"Can Shade show us one of his fire type moves?" another asked.

"Probably not a good idea-" Zero cut himself off when Zephyr breathed a short jet of flames toward the ceiling. "…Never mind. Apparently Shade already has the hang of controlling how much he fire breathes at a time."

"Excuse me, but it seemed like your story seemed to be missing a few details," a third pointed out.

"Ah yes, but I have to keep some things secret. After all, I can't risk Charlemagne finding out things that I don't want her to know," Zero explained.

"That makes sense. Probably best that you don't paint a bigger target on yourself," the same trainer agreed.

"Just to be clear, being late to get one of those Pokémon made me responsible for at least one of them, which was why I even chased after Charlemagne instead of letting the authorities handle it. If I had been on time, then only two would've been stolen," Zero stated.

"(Earlier, you said you can understand any Pokémon, right?)" a Sneasel asked.

"I didn't say that, but I can understand you," Zero responded.

"(Can you tell my trainer to stop pampering me? I'm tired of being treated like a pet,)" she replied. "(Her name is Sam.)"

"Er… Sam?" Zero called. A brunette girl raised her hand. "Your Sneasel is tired of being treated like a pet, and she wants you to stop pampering her," he translated.

"Is this true?" Sam asked, looking down at her Sneasel. She received a nod in reply. "Fine," she groaned.

After a while, no more questions were asked, so Zero walked over to the video phones and dialed Prof Elm's number. After a few rings, the professor picked up. "Hello?"

"Hey Prof Elm, it's Zero," Zero greeted. After a moment, the screen blipped on, showing the professor's face.

"Good to see you safe and sound," Prof Elm told him. Soon after, a Chikorita jumped into view on the screen.

"I take it the Pokémon made it back," Zero said.

"Yes, and it seems like Chikorita likes you," Elm responded.

"Oh the irony. Guess that makes my decision harder," Zero told him.

"You still haven't decided?" Prof Elm asked. The Chikorita frowned.

"Afraid not. I'll decide tomorrow when I'm back in New Bark," Zero replied. "Anyway, just making sure they all got back. See you tomorrow."

"Alright, I look forward to seeing you again soon," Prof Elm responded before hanging up. Next, Zero dialed his home number. After a few rings, his mother's voice answered.

"Hello?"

"Hey mom, sorry I can't make it home tonight," Zero replied. The screen blipped on, revealing a dark blue haired woman.

"Hey Zero, is everything okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, but today was pretty crazy. I'm not going to be able to make it home until tomorrow though," Zero replied.

"Oh… When are you going to come?"

"I'm planning on leaving Cherrygrove tomorrow morning. Hopefully I can make it back before lunch time." Zero motioned his Pokémon over. "I also made a few new friends today," he told her as the four Pokémon crowded around the video phone.

"Oh wow, how did you get so many Pokémon?" his mother asked.

"Long story short, I borrowed the Noctowl from Prof Elm, the Umbreon wearing armor was separated from his trainer, the other joined me while I was out, and I used dad's Heal Ball to save the Riolu," Zero explained. "That reminds me; tell dad I said thanks for the Heal Ball."

"Sounds like you have had quite a day," Mrs. Surama stated.

"Yeah, and I'll tell you all about it after I get back. In the meantime, can you wire me some cash? I'm still broke, and I've got four mouths to feed besides my own," Zero replied.

"Oh alright, I'll wire you some. Just try not to go overboard," she told him.

"Thanks. I'll see you and hopefully dad tomorrow," Zero responded.

"See you tomorrow," she replied before Zero hung up. Zero remained in his seat for a few moments as if figuring out what to do for their meal. He could just buy some Pokémon food and some apples for himself, but he had no way of carrying it home without a bag.

Nor did a salad sound particularly appetizing at the time…

* * *

Forty-five minutes later, Zero entered his room at the Pokémon Center with Shade following close behind and placed four food bowls on the floor before pouring Pokémon Food into each. He then let his Pokémon back out.

"Alright everyone, dig in!" he said as he pulled an apple from the plastic bag. Shade, Zephyr, and Equinox spared no expense in eating, but Rio only prodded his food. Seeing this, Zero sighed. "Alright, what's wrong?" he asked. Rio sighed in response.

"(I don't know. There's just some part of me that hates the idea of eating this, even when I can't remember seeing it for the life of me,)" he explained.

"How does the idea of eating meat strike you?" Zero asked.

"(Are you kidding?! Why eat a Pokémon when you can be friends instead? Besides, it gets pretty awkward when you're friends with a Pokémon, and they see you eating the same kind of Pokémon,)" Rio pointed out.

 _Heh, this one shares my opinion,_ Zero thought. "Alright, tell you what, I have an extra apple in the bag. If you eat all of your Pokémon food, you can have that," he suggested. Rio heaved a reluctant sigh.

"(Fine, I'll give it one chance,)" he conceded. He slowly plucked one of the pellets from his food bowl and bit down on it. Instantly, a small smile appeared on his muzzle. "(Well, I still hate the idea for some reason, but at least I don't hate the taste,)" he said before tossing the rest of the pellet into his mouth.

"See? That wasn't so hard," Zero pointed out as he sat the plastic sack next to the bed. He sat down at the edge as he bit into the tough skin of the apple he had been holding. An amused smile crept onto his face when Rio finally noticed the TV remote and experimentally pressed the Power button, turning the TV on.

Perhaps the Riolu had been a pet once.

 _Well today has been interesting. I wonder if that's a good sign for my journey or a bad one. Too soon to tell. I've come a long way today. I've got even farther to go before I'm done. Wonder what surprises await me tomorrow._

* * *

 **Gotta say, I am not a fan of the use of Ash-Greninja in Sun and Moon. Don't get me wrong, I like that it's there. I just think they could've done, I dunno, _better_. Continue reading the following rant for reason why I currently choose to use Ash-Greninja the way I plan to. Here's what they did, they gave it a third ability-that's right, it now has _three_ abilities-called Battle Bond.**

 **Here's what it does. Greninja KOs a Pokémon, it transforms into Ash Greninja. Sure he get better Attack and Special Attack, but the only other difference is that Water Shuriken gets a buff. Big whoop.** **Oh, and it doesn't seem like Ash-Greninja breeds, so forget trying to get an Ash-Greninja with perfect IVs without using Hyper Training.** ** _Here's_** **what they could've done instead. Make Battle Bonds an ability unique to the final forms of the Kalos Starters and make it required for Mega Evolution instead of a stone for each. Each one can then have their ability change to a better-suited ability, like maybe their Hidden Abilities.**

 **That's why I'm still planning to use Ash-Greninja as a Mega here. Also because the anime depicted as on par with using Mega Evolution and also had it used before Greninja could KO anything in the battles it was used.**


	7. Chapter 6

**I** **t's your neighborhood friendly Aura Master for another quick Author's Note. There's a ton of dialogue in this chapter, so I made it longer to make up for it. I just wouldn't be satisfied with this chapter otherwise.**

 **Anyway, bear with me, because the sixth chapter starts now.**

* * *

Chapter 6: Rivalry Sparks

Zero let out a yawn as he awoke from his sleep. He sat up to see Equinox was still perched at the foot of the bed with Rio sitting next to her, watching TV. Both Umbreon were just waking up as well, stretching on the floor.

"(Good morning,)" Rio said as he glanced over his shoulder at Zero.

"I see you and Equinox are already up," Zero responded.

"(Yeah, we've been up for a while now,)" Rio explained.

"(Everyone, I think you may find this of interest,)" Equinox warned.

"(Oh hey, we're on TV,)" Rio said as he turned around. Zero scooted over so he could watch, and saw that they were indeed on TV. He turned the TV back up as they were joined by both Umbreon.

"Yesterday, a young boy has been seen in Cherrygrove City. This boy is in possession of two Umbreon; the first belonging to another trainer in armor, and the second is believed to be part Skarmory. There has not been any evidence suggesting that he stole the first, but his trainer is believed to be a lavender haired girl with a Charmeleon or Charizard. More on this story as it develops," the reporter said before moving onto another story.

Looking over, he could see that Zephyr was petrified, most likely due to a mixture of fear and anger. Finally, he bared his teeth as he scowled. "(Great, now all of Johto knows about us,)" he growled.

"That was kind of the point. While I don't want to be famous, it's probably the best way I can protect you. It makes you a harder target when everyone tries to help us," Zero pointed out.

"(Well what about you?! You're easily a suspect of Pokéknapping Shade,)" Zephyr pointed out.

"(Pokéknapping my furry ass. It's not like he keeps me inside a cage or anything,)" Shade countered.

"I have to agree with Shade. He seems perfectly content walking beside me while we keep an eye out for his trainer," Zero agreed. "We'll be fine. Besides, it's not like everyone in Johto was watching that at the same time," he pointed out. Zephyr heaved an irritated sigh.

"(You had better be right about this for both our sakes,)" he responded.

* * *

About 30 minutes later, Zero left Cherrygrove with Shade and Rio walking alongside him. He had already started walking down Route 29 on his way home. To try and avoid being seen, they veered off the path. Soon, they came across the pack of Shinx from the day before. Four of them watched as two others fought. Zero frowned when he noticed the sixth.

"Keep it up, Atlas! Use Iron Tail!" Zero looked in the direction to see a boy with white spikey hair. One of the Shinx summersaulted into the air as his tail began to glow, striking his opponent on the head.

"(Ready to give up?)" he asked.

"(Fine, I give up,)" the other Shinx conceded. "(You've really grown since you were captured, little brother.)"

"(So have you! Where did you learn that move, Aster?)" Atlas asked.

"I think a man I ran into yesterday taught it to him and the rest of his pack," Zero spoke up.

"You can understand them too?" the white haired boy asked. Zero frowned. Then it dawned on him when he saw the earpieces the boy was wearing.

"Ah, now I get it. You're the kid Nova mentioned yesterday," he realized.

"I guess it's a small world after all."

"(The blue haired one is right, we were all caught by a blue haired man at the same time. Then he taught us how to use Thunderbolt with that disk of his. He had us fight a woman in a suit of armor and her ghost type, then he let us go,)" Aster explained.

"Speaking of yesterday, I didn't get the chance to ask you, but why did you all go crazy and attack this Riolu?" Zero asked. Aster frowned in response.

"(We don't remember attacking him,)" he replied.

"(What do you mean you don't remember?! You almost killed me!)" Rio pointed out as he stuck his head out from behind Zero.

"To be fair, you don't remember what happened when you pulled that weird evolution," Zero reminded him.

"(The last thing we remember before getting caught is being trapped in a nightmare,)" Aster explained.

"(You didn't seem asleep to me,)" Rio pointed out. "(Just before you attacked me, I felt a surge of emotions spiraling out of control. They didn't feel like mine.)"

"Excuse me, who are you?" the boy asked.

"My name's Zero. I was on my way to Cherrygrove to catch a Pokémon Hunter yesterday when I watched these Shinx chase down Rio here," Zero explained. "If I had to guess, I'd say Nova caught them while they were weak from fighting another one of my Pokémon and these two here to take back his Pokémon after they were stolen from him."

"Wow, that Umbreon and the other Pokémon must've been strong," the boy said. "I'm Jack by the way."

"Actually, Rio was the one that took most of them down. Just when the other two were about tp, he somehow evolved temporarily," Zero responded.

"(…I still don't remember that,)" Rio pointed out.

"What was the other Pokémon?" Jack asked.

"Another Umbreon, which is legally mine unlike the other," Zero answered. "We've been keeping an eye out for his trainer since yesterday, but we have no leads on her."

"Well what does she look like?"

"Lavender hair, red and black jacket. She's probably a Kanto Trainer since she has either a Charmeleon or Charizard, so I doubt you've seen her," Zero responded as he watched Rio reluctantly join the six Shinx who began playing with each other. "Are you by any chance looking to take on the gyms here in Johto?"

"Yeah, I'm going to head over to Violet City tomorrow. Why?"

"In that case, let's see if we can both get all eight badges in a year starting tomorrow," Zero suggested.

"A year? That's more than enough time. We could challenge the Elite Four before it's up," Jack pointed out. Zero smirked. "If we're going to do this, then whoever doesn't get all eight before that can't challenge the Elite Four for a year."

"Sounds good to me. We'll start at New Bark Town, and end there too. Then we can race to the Elite four from there if we both have all eight badges," Zero suggested. "Whoever gets inside the league first can challenge them first."

"Sounds like fun," Jack agreed.

"Anyway, we're headed back to New Bark today. Care to tag along?"

"Sure." Jack turned his attention back to the group of Pokémon. "Hey, Atlas, we're leaving soon!" he called.

"Us too, Rio!" Zero added.

"(Awww…)" they whined simultaneously. Zero cracked a smile.

"Out of curiosity, who are you using in your first gym battle?" Jack asked.

"Unless Prof Elm lets me keep his Noctowl a little longer, I'll have no choice but to use Rio," Zero responded. Jack frowned.

"Violet gym is a Flying Type Gym. You won't get far using Rio," He pointed out. "I'll have an edge with using Atlas with all the training we've gotten though."

"Too bad that evolution isn't going to be something I could rely on in my gym battle. It really boosted Rio's power a lot," Zero pointed out as Atlas and Rio finally made their way over after saying their goodbyes. Jack nodded in agreement.

* * *

Eventually the two trainers and the three Pokémon set foot in New Bark Town. Jack scanned the small town as they walked. "So, where's your place?" he asked.

"Not too far from here. We should see it in a few minutes," Zero answered. True to his word, he and the others soon found themselves standing outside a white house. Oddly enough, all the curtains were closed. "Hm…."

Zero walked over on top of the porch with the Jack and their Pokémon following close behind. Experimentally, Zero turned the door knob. Finding that the door was unlocked, he smirked. He slowly opened the door….

"SURPRISE!"

Instantly, the lights flicked on, fully revealing a decorated room with friends and family alike in the living room with confetti raining down. Zero walked inside with an impressed smirk on his face. They hadn't caught him entirely by surprise, but he was impressed that his parents got ready for his party so quickly. …Then again, they _did_ have all night. He still never told them when he'd be home exactly.

"You never told me it was your birthday," Jack stated as he walked inside with the others, noting the banner that hung from the ceiling.

"Actually, it was yesterday, but I got stuck in Cherrygrove," Zero explained.

"(You could've told us then,)" Rio pouted.

"(It's not like we could've done something yesterday anyway,)" Shade pointed out.

"Shade's right. No point in crying over spilled milk," Zero agreed.

"So, who is this boy?" Mrs Surama asked.

"I'm Jack, and the Shinx is my Pokémon partner, Atlas," Jack told her. Zero pulled Zephyr's and Equinox's Pokéballs out of his pockets and released them.

"Oh cool, that Umbreon has Skarmory wings!" a brown haired boy exclaimed.

"And the Noctowl's shiny!" a blonde girl added. Jason and Sarah were just a little over a year younger than Zero. Naturally, the two kids were excited to see the rarest of Pokémon among Zero's current team.

"(Did I have to come out?)" Zephyr asked.

"What was that supposed to mean? That you can't have some fun?" Zero teased.

"You didn't tell me that your Umbreon had wings," Jack pointed out.

"Would you believe me if I told you?" Zero countered.

"Then you could've shown me," Jack shot back

"And have him out in the open? He was grumpy enough when he found out we made the news this morning. I didn't need him angrier at me because someone actually managed to take him," Zero pointed out.

"(It's true. He was pissed,)" Shade confirmed.

"(Don't exaggerate. But yes, that was the best choice,)" Zephyr responded. "(I would feel safer inside my Pokéball until Zero trains up the rest of our team.)"

"I guess you have a point," Jack sighed.

"Anyway, I guess I should tell you all what I've been through," Zero stated.

* * *

Zero began telling everyone the story he had told at the Pokémon Center. He told them about how he met Nova, followed by meeting Shade and Zephyr and their agreement. He then told them how they ran into Rio and how he relied on Zephyr and Shade to fight off the Shinx. He then went on to tell them about how they discovered Rio's amnesia.

Next he moved on to his battle against Charlemagne. He even described how he tried to take advantage of her Pokémon's type weaknesses. He also told them how Nova arrived just in time with the five Shinx from before. He then told them of how he and Nova both wrestled for the stolen Pokémon followed by her escape thanks to a Claydol.

He then moved on to their stay at the Pokémon Center. He told them of how he told the story there, and of how he had to tempt Rio with an apple to eat his Pokémon food. He then told them how they discovered that they were on the news earlier that morning and Zephyr's reaction. He then told them of how he and Jack met on the way home that morning.

* * *

Zero looked around at everyone's expressions. His father, a man with light blue hair, seemed impressed, or maybe even proud. His friends were in awe, and his mother seemed a little stunned. Prof Elm also seemed impressed. Finally, the Pokémon Professor broke the silence.

"I see that I actually made the right decision in letting you run off looking for the thief. Even if you weren't able to bring her to justice, I'm still impressed that you were able to return the starter Pokémon to me safe and sound," he told Zero.

"I hate to burst your bubble especially since I can't do that without bursting mine, but if Nova hadn't shown up, he would never have been able to save any of them," Mr. Surama pointed out. "I'm proud of him for holding his own against someone much more experienced _and_ as dangerous as a Pokémon Hunter." Mrs. Surama glared at her husband as she cleared her throat. "What?"

Mrs. Surama sighed. "It was still very reckless for him to go after her when he was SUPPOSED to be starting his journey today; not to mention very irresponsible for you to loan him a Pokémon so he could go through with it," she chided, the second part directed at Elm.

"In my defense, the look he had in his eyes and the attitude he had showed that he was going to go through with it regardless of if I let him," he defended.

"I have to agree with him, honey. The way I see it, loaning him a Pokémon was actually responsible of him, and Zero still could've found Zephyr, Shade, and Rio even without Equinox. Not to mention he asked that his own party got put off so he could track down Charlemagne instead of leaving us wondering where he was when he was supposed to be here," Mr. Surama agreed.

"They have a point. And the reason why I didn't say what I was doing was because I knew you'd try to stop me. If you did, then not only would the three starters would be gone, but so would all of Nova's Pokémon; not to mention the only reason Nova had five Shinx was because Rio, Zephyr, and Shade fought them before. Besides, Charlemagne is still out there. It would be safer for me to go out on my journey than to stay here if she ever found out where I lived," Zero pointed out.

"Hope. He's ready. He'll go whether we want him to or not," Mr. Surama told his wife sternly. Flustered, Hope Surama looked like she was going to argue her point, but finally sighed in irritation.

"Fine, but I'm holding him to getting eight gym badges," she conceded.

"Fine with me. By then I'll be strong enough to go back to Viridian Forest whenever I want," Zero responded. Prof Elm pulled three Pokéballs from his lab coat and tossed them into the air. Out came Chikorita, Totodile, and Cyndaquil.

"Have you decided which starter you wanted?" Elm asked. Zero nodded.

"Oh! Pick Cyndaquil. Fire types hold an advantage in three gyms here in Johto. Or at least Totodile since water types have no disadvantages against any of the gym leaders," Jack told Zero.

Upon hearing this, the Chikorita took on a crestfallen expression while Cyndaquil beamed with enthusiasm. Totodile seemed ready to go but was more or less neutral. On one hand, both of the Pokémon he wanted would be a big help. On the other hand…

"I choose Chikorita," Zero decided. Upon hearing this, Chikorita looked up to him in surprise. Cyndaquil gaped in shock while Totodile frowned in disappointment.

"Chikorita is weak to three of the gyms in this region, and two of them, flying and bug types, are the first on the traditional route," Jack pointed out as he frowned.

"It doesn't matter. I said it myself that I was responsible for at least one of them when they got taken away. When I took one from Charlemagne, I had no time to pick one whichever one I wanted. All I could do was just grab one. Since I got Chikorita from her, that makes her my responsibility," Zero explained. "Type matchups aren't everything either. I'll be able to use her and Rio in both of those gyms as long as we train hard."

Jack sighed. "Fine, it's your funeral. Don't come crying to me if you take too long on your first badge," he warned.

"By the way, I'm going to let you keep Equinox until you get four badges. By then, the rest of your Pokémon should be caught up with her," Elm mentioned as he recalled Totodile and Cyndaquil.

"Oh, that's perfect! Equinox has a clear advantage over the second gym and could dominate the fourth gym on the traditional route. The second gym is Bug type, and the fourth is Ghost," Jack told Zero. Zero shot his rival a questioning glance as Elm handed him Chikorita's Pokéball. "What? I like knowing a gym's specialization before I get there."

"Fair enough. It just makes things a little easier for me," Zero responded.

"Hey, can you and Jack show us a Pokémon battle?" Jason asked.

"I don't see why not. Jack?" Jack donned a cocky smirk.

"Bring it," he responded.

* * *

Jack and Zero found themselves standing outside the house. Watching them was Shade, Mr Surama, Prof Elm, Jason, and Sarah. Zero's Pokémon all stood near him save for Equinox, who was flying around him, and Zephyr, who was in his Pokéball. Standing a few feet away from Jack and looking like he was about to pounce was his only Pokémon, Atlas.

"So who are you going to use?" Jack asked as Zero pointed his Pokédex at Atlas. Rio probably wasn't ready, neither him nor Chikorita were strong enough, and Zephyr would attract too much attention, which only left…

"Equinox. She's stronger than Atlas, but her type disadvantage should even the odds," Zero decided. Despite this, he was determined to make this his first actual win. The rest of his Pokémon walked over to join the spectators. Equinox flew a few feet away from Zero. "Your move."

"Atlas, use Charge!" Jack commanded. Electricity visibly arced around Atlas's body. It certainly wasn't a bad move on Jack's part.

"Equinox, use Peck!" Zero ordered. Equinox flew forward with her beak glowing.

"Atlas, intercept with Spark!" Jack commanded The Shinx was cloaked in electricity as it charged at Equinox. Zero smirked.

"Use Reflect!" Just before Atlas pounced at Equinox, her beak stopped glowing as a cubic barrier appeared around her. Atlas hit the barrier head on. The barrier of course absorbed half the damage before disappearing from view. "Hypnosis!"

As Atlas landed, Equinox circled around, her eyes glowing as she landed directly in front of Atlas. Atlas's eyes grew heavy and his legs became wobbly before he slumped over out cold.

"Now Peck, then follow up with Uproar!" Zero commanded. Equinox's beak glowed as she pecked Atlas's prone form. Next, she let out a loud cry, waking Atlas from his impromptu slumber and causing him to cover his ears. Jack grit his teeth. His counterattack had been foiled by Zero's trap.

"Atlas, use Shock Wave!" Jack ordered. Atlas's body was surrounded in light blue electricity which focused itself into an orb perched atop his head before blasting lightning at Equinox point blank. The Noctowl had a shock sent through her system as Reflect failed to protect her.

"Use Hypnosis!"

"Use Iron Tail!" As Equinox's eyes began to glow as she tried to hypnotize Atlas, but the Shinx spun around with his glowing tail which he slammed into her. The barrier reappeared as it absorbed part of blow.

"Use Uproar now!" Equinox let out another loud cry. Atlas cried out in pain, but was inaudible due to Equinox's Uproar. The Shinx that slumped over as he fainted, which prompted Equinox to stop her attack.

Zero was the clear winner, but he felt the odds had been in his favor since the beginning. Then again, they would be either stacked against him or Jack no matter who he chose. "Well so much for it being an even match," he sighed.

"Well you seem to have battling just about down already. Now we'll see how well you can take care of more Pokémon than one at a time," Mr Surama said as he and the others walked over.

"Where did you learn to battle like that?" Jason asked.

"The pro tips I got yesterday and then looking around the internet last night before bed," Zero answered. "Still, a win isn't going to be very satisfying if I'm not using a Pokémon I've raised, and I've got a lot of work ahead of me starting tomorrow."

"Let's hurry back inside. It's almost time for lunch," Hope suggested.

* * *

"So, do you plan to go the traditional route, or are you just going to try and tackle Blackthorn first?" Jack asked almost jokingly before biting down on a slice of cheese pizza.

"Probably traditional. It looks like the safest route," Zero answered before biting into his slice. As he bit down, he spotted something blue out of the corner of his eye. He looked down at the table to see a blue paw carefully reach up and slowly pull one of the slices down of the table.

As he leaned over in his chair, he spotted Rio sitting down on the floor grabbing his prized with both hands. Zero failed to hold back a snicker when Rio took a bite. Rio looked over to see that he had been discovered and responded with a sheepish grin and a nervous chuckle.

"You'd better enjoy that slice of pizza, Rio, because I'm not about to make a habit of spoiling you," Zero warned.

"(As familiar as pizza is to me, I can't help but feel the taste is off somehow, even though I can't remember how it tastes,)" Rio admitted. Of course, he'd still rather eat it than Pokémon food, despite Pokémon food tasting better

"Sounds like the perfect excuse to save room for cake. My mom uses berries to make her cakes, so you should like it just fine," Zero mentioned. "Hm… I hope there's enough for everyone. I know my mom might've guessed I'd have more than one Pokémon when it would be time for the party, but between Jack and I, we've got a full team counting Shade, which I doubt my mom could've expected," he realized.

"If our Pokémon are lucky, she might've thought ahead after you called last night," Jack pointed out.

"She just finished icing one this morning," Jason mentioned.

"There we go," Zero said, now leaning back in his chair, as he threw his arm out, gesturing toward Jason.

"Who wants cake~?" Hope asked as she pulled two platters of cake before handing one to her husband.

"We do!" Sarah answered for everyone as the couple placed the platters on the table. Both cakes were covered in white frosting and decorated to look like Premier Balls.

The first had a pair of lit candles that made the number 12. This cake was place in front of Zero while the second was placed behind it. Before anyone could tell him to make a wish, Zero blew out the candles.

"What did you wish for?" Jack asked.

"The same thing I wished for last year: to return to Viridian," Zero responded as Hope removed the candles. His face formed a confident smirk as Hope began cutting the cakes. "And this year, badges or no badges, I'm getting that wish," he said.

"Jack, do you want Pecha Berry or Aspear Berry cake?" Hope asked as she placed a slice of pink cake on Zero's plate.

"I'll try the Aspear Berry cake, Mrs Surama," Jack responded. Zero leaned forward as a slice of yellow cake was placed on Jack's plate. He then proceeded to tear a piece off his cake with his fork.

He then lifted the chunk of the baked confection into his mouth. He savored the sweet flavor of the Pecha Berry cake as he chewed it slowly before swallowing. He then looked over to see Rio depositing a chunk of Pecha Berry into his mouth from his food bowl. He closed his eyes as a look of bliss appeared on his face. Then his eyes snapped open as his expression became depressed.

"What's wrong, Rio?" Zero asked.

"(I guess the cake made me feel a little homesick even though I can't even remember my home,)" Rio answered. "(It just tastes familiar I guess.)"

"Cheer up, you'll find out where you came from eventually," Zero replied. "Who knows? Maybe if you eat that piece of cake a little longer, you might remember something." Of course, his suggestion was merely to cheer up the Riolu. He wasn't sure it would work.

"(You might be right,)" Rio agreed. It seemed to have worked as Rio resumed eating his slice of cake.

"This cake is pretty good. Where'd you learn to make it?" Jack asked.

"A family recipe. You can get it in my sister's bakery in Blackthorn," Hope answered as she finished passing out the cake.

"I'll have to remember to stop by after I get there for my eighth," Jack responded.

 _I'm going to have to remember to order one before I head out for my fourth badge. I could throw Equinox a bit of a farewell party after I get it,_ Zero thought. After everyone finished their slice of cake, Zero looked over to see Rio with white frosting smeared all over his mouth and couldn't resist laughing. "Rio, you should see your face. You've got icing all over your mouth!"

Everyone else started giggling save for Rio, who promptly licked the outside of his mouth clean. "Alright, time for gifts! The first one is from Sarah." Mr Surama stated before handing Zero a box wrapped in colorful striped paper. Zero tore off the paper revealing a box for a pair of roller skates.

"Alright! These skates should make going from A to B much faster. Thanks, Sarah."

"I hope they work well. They're the latest folding skates from Kalos," Sarah responded.

"The next one is from Jason," Mr Surama told Zero as he handed him a blue gift bag. Zero dug through the tissue paper before pulling out a blue and white triangular device.

"That's a VS Seeker. It's great for finding other trainers to battle," Jason explained.

"Thanks, it should come in handy when I'm short on cash." Zero responded.

"And this one is from your mother," Mr Surama stated before giving Zero a box wrapped in balloon print paper. After tearing of the paper, he opened a white box to find a white zip up hoodie inside.

"I know you'll get caught in the rain or go somewhere cold eventually," Hope told Zero as he tried the hoodie on.

 _I should've known it would be clothes, but every bit helps,_ he thought. "Thanks, mom. It fits great."

"And the last one is from Nova," Mr Surama said, causing Zero to raise an eyebrow.

"Even Nova got me something?" he asked.

"That's right," his father responded before sitting a white backpack on the table. "We found it just outside this morning."

"( _See?_ I told you so,)" Rio pointed out. Zero chuckled nervously in response. Attached to the pack was a tag.

 _"To: Zero_

 _I dropped by Prof Elm's and I found out it was your birthday. I wish you had told me. Anyway, this backpack should be able to hold everything you need. You could fit the inventory of an entire PokéMart inside, and it still won't be full. Be careful though, while it's absurdly spacious inside, you'll still feel the weight of everything inside it. I had two, so I gave you the spare and even threw in some recovery items and a Premier Ball._

 _From: Nova"_

Zero let the tag drop. "Seriously, I don't mention my birthday to anyone I've met since yesterday, and one of my Pokémon and two trainers get mad," he said, shaking his head. _Definitely a "What the heck?" moment,_ he thought. Jack tapped his chin, then he snapped his fingers.

He then pulled out a blue tablet liked device from his bag. "Here, you can have my VS Recorder. I messed up and ordered two online, so I have an extra," he explained.

"Thanks," Zero said before depositing the VS Recorder into his pack. He got up before swinging the bag over his shoulder. "I think I'm all set for tomorrow. If today is any sign about my journey, then I've got a great feeling about this."

365 DAYS REMAINING

* * *

 **Yeah, I think I'm going to end the chapter here. I've lost all motivation for it, and if I don't go to the next chapter, I'll never get done with this story. Until next time, Aura Master signing out!**


	8. Chapter 7

**It's you neighborhood friendly Aura Master, and I see that we're nearing the 250 view mark. If we hit 500 views, I'll update a second time that month. Let's work hard to hit that mark!**

* * *

Chapter 7: Violet Blues Part I

"Sir! There has been a news report involving two of the escaped experiments."

"What's the word?"

A shadowy figure stood at attention before another sitting at a desk. "Two of the Umbreon have been spotted with a blue haired boy in Cherrygrove. Should we go after them?" the first spoke.

The one at the desk remained silent as if musing something. "No, we cannot attract any attention to ourselves just yet. We will merely send Charlemagne to hunt them down for now. Keep an eye on the news and have her report in for further developments," he responded. "You are dismissed."

"Sir!" The first figure saluted before leaving the room.

"Hm… I wonder what else those idiot scientists are cooking up now," the figure at the desk wondered aloud.

* * *

Zero and Jack stood at the edge of Newbark Town. Zero was wearing his new hoodie, and had his white vest stuffed into his back pack, which had his VS Seeker clipped to the strap. His new skates were securely fastened to his sneakers. Jack pulled a round device out of his backpack, which extended into a type of board, which hovered above the ground. Zero and Jack's Pokémon were all safely in their Pokéballs while Shade stood beside Zero.

"You never did tell me, where did you come from?" Zero asked.

"I'm from the Orre region. I moved here to Johto last year," Jack answered as he stepped foot on his hover board.

 _Well that would explain all of that tech,_ Zero noted. "Ok, let's head out on 3."

"(1…)" Shade started.

"2…" Jack continued.

"3!" With that, they were off. Zero, using his new skates, was going at a fairly fast pace. Not fast enough to keep up with Jack's hover board, but fast enough to keep up with Shade's pace. Zero and Shade soon veered off the path and into the cover the trees provided.

"At this rate, Jack will be the first to Violet City," Zero noted.

"(Yeah, good thing you're not racing just to see who can get eight badges the fastest,)" Shade pointed out.

 _It's probably a bad idea to just waltz into Cherrygrove. There's no telling who we have after us besides Charlemagne. It might be best to go around it,_ Zero thought.

* * *

Zero walked just outside Cherrygrove City. He was panting from the lack of breath all his skating caused him. In addition to Shade, Rio and his Chikorita, appropriately named Leifa, walked alongside him. "So Shade, do you remember your trainer's name at all?" Zero asked after he regained his breath.

"(Hm… her name started with 'Ca-',)" the Umbreon responded.

 _I'll have to write up a list of names later,_ Zero thought. "Well that at least gives us something else to worf with." he stated. "As for Violet Gym… I don't know. The only Pokémon with us that could handle it are probably Equinox and Zephyr, but I'd hate to rely on them for our first win."

"(Well… what if we catch a new member that isn't weak to that gym?)" Leifa suggested.

"Good idea, but I don't really want to force someone to join us with a battle. It just kinda reminds me of being away from Viridian," Zero admitted.

"(Then we'll just have to convince a Pokémon or befriend one,)" Rio stated.

"Sounds like a plan. Even if Jack reaches Violet City first, I doubt Atlas will be enough to get a win without evolving," Zero pointed out. "It may not be a race, but it'll be more fun this way."

* * *

After another hour of walking, Zero and Shade set foot on Route 30. Zero recalled Rio and Leifa to make travelling easier. After messing around with the Pokédex, which Prof Elm let him keep, he found the habitat function.

"Hm… Shoot. This Route has Bug, Normal, Grass, and Water types. Same goes for Route 31," Zero stated as he returned the Pokedex to his bag. "Guess we may as well look for a Water Type. We'll probably need it later anyway, but we should focus on getting away from Cherrygrove first. What we'll probably do is try to get through Route 30 and take a break on Route 31. We should be able to hit Violet City by nightfall," he pointed out.

"(Sounds like a plan. Let's go!)" Shade agreed. Zero began skating again with Shade running alongside him. Zero didn't want to give Charlemagne a chance to catch him. Not before he was capable taking her on.

 _This sure is a dangerous game I'm playing… I just hope that I can squeeze in enough training between gyms,_ he thought.

* * *

The trek to Route 31 went smoothly. They were fortunate not to encounter an enemy yet. Zero slowed to a stop and sat against a tree. He then released his Pokémon. "Alright, Violet City isn't too far from here, but we're going to camp out nearby for the night. I could use some rest after all that skating, and three of you could use some training before our gym battle," he explained.

"(He's not wrong. I'm not even sure _how_ to fight, and Leifa and I both have disadvantages in the Violet gym,)" Rio pointed out.

"Then there's the fact that we should plan on leaving Violet City after the gym battle. We tell our story, take on the Gym, heal up at the Center, get supplies, and then get the heck out of dodge while it's still day time. That way we can avoid a run-in with Charlemagne before we're ready."

"(Playing smarter and not harder? I like that,)" Zephyr said.

"It's not like we have much choice at this point," Zero pointed out. "I can't rely on Shade and Equinox forever either to deal with Breloom and Banette."

"(Yes, relying on us to fight Charlemagne might be detrimental to the growth of the rest of our team excluding Zephyr,)" Equinox agreed. Zero got back to his feet as he slipped his back pack off his shoulders, and then placed it on the ground.

"Alright let's get training. Rio and Leifa, we'll start with a spar between you two," he stated. The other Pokémon gave the pair some distance. The lower leveled Pokémon then took a few steps back from each other. "Alright, Rio, start us off with Quick Attack!" Zero ordered.

"(I don't know how to use that,)" Rio responded.

"How do you know the move and not know it at the same time?" Zero asked. Rio responded with an innocent shrug. Zero sighed. "Fine, just try to defend yourself. Leifa, start us off with Vine Whip," he ordered. A pair of vines snaked out of the buds around Leifa's neck before moving to strike Rio.

Rio took the hit, but quickly recovered and grabbed the vines. He then spun around with them, slamming Leifa into a tree, causing Zero to wince. "(Where did that come from?)" Rio asked.

"Focus, Rio. Leifa, use Tackle!" After picking herself up off the ground, Leifa charged at Rio. As Rio made to get out of the way and put on a burst of speed leaving a trial of light behind him. He moved to the side before ramming Leifa.

"(I'm guessing that was Quick Attack,)" Rio assumed.

"Now you're getting it! Use Quick Attack again!" Rio put on another burst of speed as he tried to tackle Leifa again, who was getting back up. "Leif, use Vine Whip to launch yourself into the air!" Leifa used her vines to push herself off the ground.

"(I remember this maneuver. It's the one Nova's Ivysaur caught me off guard with,)" Equinox commented, wincing at the memory of Ivy's Body Slam.

 _Her angle is all wrong for a Body Slam. We'll have to work on that,_ Zero noted. "Now use Razor Leaf!" he ordered. Leifa swung the leaf atop her head, sending a barrage of razor-sharp leaves raining down on Rio. "We'll have to work on the angle to use Body Slam just like Nova's Ivysaur, but that can wait until you evolve into Bayleaf if we have to," he mentioned.

"(That jump was pretty good though. I never saw it coming,)" Rio commented.

"(That Counter and Quick Attack really got me though. I didn't expect them either,)" Leifa admitted.

 _The other day was a pretty bad sign, but ever since last morning, it's been one good sign after another,_ Zero thought. Then he looked down at the sound of rustling fabric to see a white ferret like Pokemon with brown stripes going down his back.

The Pokémon currently had his head buried inside Zero's backpack. Zero motioned for his Pokémon to keep quiet before crouching down. "May I help you?" he asked the Pokémon. The Pokémon jumped and pulled his head out of the bag to look up at Zero.

The Pokémon then chuckled nervously. "(Bye!)" he said as he turned around and ran off.

"Rio, follow that Linoone!" Zero told the Emanation Pokémon. As Rio started to give chase, Zero turned to Equinox. "Follow after them too and come back if you find anything," he told the owl Pokémon. Equinox nodded and followed after Rio.

Zero then promptly recalled his remaining Pokémon before grabbing his bag and jogging after the trio with Shade trotting alongside him. After a short time, Equinox came flying back. "What's the word?" Zero asked.

"(The Linoone stopped near a pond. There's also an unconscious Buizel lying on the ground,)" Equinox reported. Upon hearing this, Zero started skating to pick up the pace.

Soon, they arrived at a pond where an orange weasel Pokémon was lying on the ground with Rio standing over him and next to the Linoone. Hearing their approach, Rio turned around.

"(Zero, this Buizel is the Linoone's son,)" he reported.

"That's all I need to hear," Zero responded as he skidded to a stop. He then kneeled down to examine the Buizel. _No visible injuries. Might be poisoned somehow still,_ he thought before putting a hand to the Water Pokémon's forehead. _A fever. Not a good sign._ He noted. "Linoone, mind filling me in on what happened to him?" he asked.

"(Well, I had just gotten back with some berries this morning, but my son was out cold, which was weird since he didn't do a lot yesterday,)" the Linoone explained.

"Any run ins with poison users?"

"(Nada.)"

"Did he complain about anything?"

"(Nope.)" Zero gave a sigh of relief.

"Well at least we know he's just sick," he stated. He then recalled Rio and released Zephyr before standing back up. "I'm going to the nearby city to get some medicine. Equinox, Shade, and Zephyr, you three stay here to make sure they don't get into any trouble," he ordered the three Pokémon. He then skated off.

* * *

After a while, Zero made it to Violet City with Chikorita running alongside him. They soon found the Mart, where Zero skidded to a stop. They quickly ran inside. "We need to get some medicine fast!" he exclaimed before panting.

"You want Isle 5 for over the counter," the clerk at the register. Zero nodded in response before making his way to the aforementioned isle.

He then found a fever reducer for Pokémon. He snatched it off the shelf before running back to the counter. "How much?" he asked.

"500 Poké… Haven't I seen you somewhere?" the clerk responded.

"I doubt it," Zero lied as he placed the money on the counter. _Great, now I need to worry about getting out of the city before I get recognized,_ he thought. After making his way out of the Mart, he started skating again.

"Hey Zero! Where's the hurry?!" Zero spun around to see that he just skated past Jack and Atlas.

"No time! I'll tell you about it tomorrow!" Zero called back before spinning back around to see where he was going.

* * *

"So, what's with the Skarmory wings?" Linoone asked Zephyr.

"Long story short, Shade and I were taken from our friends and families and experimented on humans. Now I've got Skarmory wings, and Shade has four fire type moves to go with his normal moves. We escaped, and then Zero found us. Now I'm helping him while he helps Shade look for his trainer," Zephyr explained. "With Zero as my trainer, I guess I don't have much room to complain seeing that my brother got out of there too and that I can fly now."

"And you trust him after the trouble other humans cause you?" Linoone asked.

"He hasn't given me a reason not to. He's going out of his way to make sure those scientists or the hunter who captured me to begin with don't do it again. His first move was even to rescue some Pokémon," Zephyr pointed out. "I might stick around if he hasn't captured the hunter."

"Fair enough, but how does he…" Linoone trailed off.

"Understand us at all?" Shade finished. "It's just like with my trainer. He has a deeper connection to us than most humans."

"He never elucidated the extent of his connection, though I suspect that the he may not fully comprehend it to begin with," Equinox commented.

"Can we get that in Pokénglish please? My sis isn't around to translate," Shade requested. Equinox rolled her eyes.

"I merely stated that he has yet to explain or possibly even comprehend it," she translated. "However, a substitute Gym Leader mentioned something about an 'ability' that piqued my interest. I would suggest that it could be some ability of Zero's, but without a means to study it, we would have no way of knowing if Zero doesn't either."

"…You have clearly spent too much time in that lab in Newbark," Zephyr remarked. "Though now that it's been mentioned, I'm curious about it too."

* * *

Zero panted heavily with Leifa riding on his head as he stumbled through bushes before the group of Pokémon entered his vision. He then collapsed as Leifa jumped off. Zero then pulled a bottle out of his bag before releasing Rio. After opening the bottle he handed a capsule to Rio.

"G-Give that… to Buizel... Make sure… he swallows it…" Zero instructed between breathes. Rio nodded before running over to Buizel's side.

"(Are you alright?)" Zephyr asked.

"Yeah… Just need… to catch… my breath…" Zero responded. He then started taking fewer but deeper breathes to stabilize his breathing. He then pushed himself upright. "I think we'll camp out close by in case Buizel wakes up. Then we can find out anything else," he decided.

"(So… how can you understand us?)" Linoone asked.

"A friend taught me. Actually, it was two friends. One couldn't speak, and the other was blind," Zero explained.

"(One of the Umbreon said something about a deeper connection,)" Linoone mentioned.

"My parents always told me I had the heart of Pokémon. I guess it's because I spent most of my time around the Pokémon of Viridian Forest," Zero explained. "Wait, which Umbreon?"

"(Red rings,)" Linoone responded.

 _There is no freaking way I should know who his trainer is, and the pieces are starting to come together anyway,_ Zero reflected. He shook the thought from his head, and then noticed that Rio was still kneeling over Buizel. "Rio, get away from that Buizel. We don't know if he's contagious yet," Zero warned. "Why are you so interested in him anyway?" he asked the Riolu as he walked over.

"(I don't know I just feel like I should know him from somewhere,)" Rio answered.

"(Impossible. He's still too young to be on his own, and the first I've seen you was just earlier,)" Linoone pointed out.

"You, my friend, are a confused Riolu," Zero said. "Anyway, since we're going to be facing a Flying Type gym, we should work on your jumping. To start with, try climbing trees using only the branches. After that, I'll have Equinox help you learn how to deal with fliers," he told Rio. After seeing the Riolu nod in acknowledgement, he turned to Equinox. "As for you, I want you to teach Reflect to Leifa. You won't be able to stick around after my fourth badge, and that Reflect might come in handy later on."

"(Will do. Come Leifa, it's time for me to take you under my wing, so to speak,)" Equinox responded.

"I'm going to go set up camp. Shade and Zephyr, let me know if anything happens," Zero told the Umbreon duo.

* * *

Rio glared at the tree before him as if it were his greatest enemy. One wrong branch, and he'd fall. He pushed himself off the ground, barely landing on a branch. He then kicked himself off the branch. He repeated this process until a branch near the top snapped under his weight.

 _Oh crud!_ As he fell, he managed to grab another branch before swinging around and landing on top of it. "Well, that was lucky," he muttered to himself. He resumed jumping from branch to branch before reaching the top. From a top the tree, he saw Equinox instructing Leifa.

"That's it, now focus the energy outward," Equinox instructed in response to seeing a yellow glow encompass Leifa's form. Soon, she projected it outward, creating an energy field, which dissipated quickly. "Close, but not quite. Concentrate a little more on the form and less on the power," she told the Chikorita.

 _Hm… where is this sense of déjà vu coming from? The only thing that didn't seem familiar was being told to climb a tree, but I've never met any of them before the other day,_ Rio mused. _Now that I think about it… There was that voice before I woke up with Zero. Maybe there's something inside me that sets me apart._ Rio slid down the tree's trunk before running out from under it.

 _Only one way to find out. I need to focus._

He closed his eyes and stood silently for a few seconds, blocking out the sounds of Equinox teaching Leifa Reflect in the background. Then his eyes snapped open.

And he jumped, landing on top of the tree he just climbed. Bewildered, he remained silent and still. _Did I really just do that? I may not remember whether or not I was always a Riolu-especially a_ normal _Riolu-but I do know that I wasn't able to do this before. …Was I even a Pokémon before?_ Rio wondered. He shook the thoughts from his head. _I'm overthinking this. It doesn't matter what I always was before I lost my memories. I'm not going to find out much unless I stick with Zero,_ he decided. He looked down to see Zephyr run off alone.

 _Buizel must be awake!_

* * *

Zero was walking back toward the pond after dropping his collection of twigs and broken branches. He was collecting firewood until he realized he lacked a water user and a pail to hold water. He had Shade to start a campfire, but lacked a means of putting out effectively. Without a tent, there was nothing really to set up other than his sleeping bag. That was when Zephyr came along.

"What is it?" Zero asked curiously.

"(It's the Buizel. He just woke up,)" Zephyr responded. As soon as Zephyr finished talking, Zero was skating back to the group with Zephyr running alongside him. Soon, the duo reunited with the rest of the group. Zero slowed to a stop near Buizel.

"(I've already told him about you,)" Linoone informed Zero.

"Thanks," Zero responded. He then kneeled over the Buizel. "Is there a name you want me to call you by?" he asked.

"(Call me River,)" the Buizel responded.

"Okay, River, is everything feeling okay?" Zero asked.

"(I'm having a hard time breathing through my nose, and my throat hurts,)" River responded. Zero pulled his Pokégear out of his pocket and began typing a message to Jack.

 _"Hey Jack, I need a favor. I'm helping out a sick Buizel on Route 31 and need some cold medicine, but I don't have enough left over from the fever reducer I just bought. Can you buy me some and bring it over?"_

After hitting send, he returned the Pokégear to his pocket. "Alright, I've asked friend to bring over some medicine. In the meantime, let's get you into the water so you can stay hydrated," he informed River. He then helped the Buizel up and set him into the pond, leaving his torso out of the water.

Next, he pulled an Oran Berry out of his back pack's side pouch and held it in front of River's mouth. "Eat this," he told the Buizel. River took the whole berry in his mouth and chewed it slowly before swallowing it. "Hey Linoone, know any Ice type moves?" Zero asked, looking over his shoulder.

"(Yeah, I know one. Why?)" Linoone responded. Zero took a food bowl from his backpack and filled it with water from the pond.

"I need you to freeze this and break the ice," he answered. Linoone fired a blast of light blue lightning from his mouth, which froze the water in the bowl.

Then his claws began to glow as he lashed out at the ice, breaking it into pieces. Zero removed a piece of cloth from his bag and dumped the pieces of ice onto it. He then tied the corners together to make a makeshift ice pack. "This should bring your fever down some more," he told River as he placed the icepack on the Buizel's forehead.

Zero stood back up. "I'm going to go see if my friend is anywhere near here. I'll be right back," he stated. He then skated off.

After a while, he spotted Jack on his hover board. Jack slowed to a stop and pulled a bottle out of his pocket. "You know, you're lucky you sent me that text. I was just about to go into the Violet Gym," he told Zero. He then tossed the bottle to Zero.

"Thanks," Zero said as he caught the bottle. "I'll be back in Violet City tomorrow for my gym battle. Let me know how your gym challenge goes," he said after depositing the bottle into his jacket pocket.

"Sure thing," Jack said as he spun around. "See you later!" he said as he rode off. Zero skated back toward the pond. When he finally returned to the group, he slowed to a stop near River and kneeled over him.

He pulled the bottle of cold medicine from this jacket pocket and opened it. He then pulled one of the pills out and held it out to River. "Swallow this. It should at least make breathing through your nose easier in half an hour," he told the Buizel.

River took the pill and swallowed it. "(Why are you so interested in me?)" River asked.

"You should be asking that to my Riolu. He seemed to think you look familiar," Zero responded. "Anyway, I used to help a couple of friends take care of sick and injured Pokémon occasionally, so this is nothing new," he explained. "Just have your dad let me know if you need anything else."

* * *

Zero sat on his sleeping bag, thinking up ways he could handle battling Flying Types. Equinox was perched in a nearby tree. Leifa, Zephyr, and Shade all laid curled up at the edge of the sleeping bag. Rio meanwhile sat on the grass and looked up at the stars.

 _Why does everything seem familiar? It just doesn't make any sense. What possible explanation is there?_ Rio wondered.

"Can't sleep?" Zero asked.

"Nope, too busy trying to figure out where I came from. What about you?" Rio responded.

"Too busy thinking about our gym battle tomorrow. It won't be easy unless I just go in with Zephyr, or I figure out why you were able to evolve temporarily the other day," Zero answered.

"I still have no idea what you're talking about."

"I still have no idea why you can't remember it." Zero's Pokégear started to ring. He took it out of his pocket and answered it. "Hello? …Jack. Jack! Calm down and start from the beginning." Rio perked his ears up in an attempt to listen in.

 _"I-It's terrible. Atlas and I challenged the Violet Gym. The two Flying Type Trainers were pushovers, but the Gym Leader… We managed to take out his Pidgey and Pidgeotto, but then he sent out a Pidgeot, and it… It Mega Evolved. The next thing I know, Atlas is out and badly hurt. W-We're at the Pokémon Center now, and I don't know if Atlas will make it."_

Zero paled, and Rio could see yellow stripes starting to wrap themselves around his trainer, who almost dropped his Pokégear.

 _"Zero… Please just stay away from the gym."_

364 DAYS REMAINING


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Violet Blues Part II

 _"Pidgeot, use Hyper Beam!"_

 _"NO! RIVER!"_

Rio's eyes snapped open as he bolted upright. His pupils were dilated as he panted. _Wh-what was that? Is River really…_ Rio looked around, but saw that it was the crack of dawn everyone was still asleep back on Route 31 save for Zero, who was just waking up. _Was it really just a nightmare? It felt so real…_ Rio thought as he calmed himself down.

"Ah, Rio, already awake? Good," Zero said. He took a deep breath. "Alright everyone, wake up! We're going to eat breakfast and then get in some last minute training!" he shouted.

"Ugh… what's with the wakeup call?" Zephyr groaned.

"I had a rude awakening last night, which was ironic since I wasn't asleep yet," Zero told him. "Jack called me last night and according to him, the Violet Gym Leader is a Mega Evolution user. After our last encounter with one of those, I know we need the training, even you Zephyr." At the mere mentioning of the gym leader, Rio could see the yellow lines faintly appear again.

"Speaking of training, I have something I wanted to ask…" Rio stated. "Can other Riolu jump this high?" He jumped from the ground and on top of one of the trees.

"I don't think anyone here knows a Riolu besides you, so we would be the wrong ones to ask, but the Pokédex did say you can 'crest three mountains and cross two canyons in one night'," Zero pointed out as Rio jumped down. Zero pulled out the food bowls from his backpack and filled them with Pokémon food before handing them out. He then pulled an apple out for himself. "Alright, Rio, since I want to see if your injuries had anything to do with your evolution, you'll be up against Zephyr while Leifa faces off with Equinox."

"Again, I have no idea what evolution you're talking about," Rio responded before reluctantly eating a piece of his food. "But if we really have a secret weapon, I'm game."

"Someone sure seems confident," Leifa commented.

"And it's something we could use. From the sound of it, we'll have to bring our A-game to win this badge," Zero stated.

 _Of course I'm scared, and I think Zero is too. Atlas got pretty banged up from the sound of that loss, and if my nightmare was anything to go by, we'll have our hands full,_ Rio thought.

* * *

The morning had been far from quiet as Rio trained hard by battling against Zephyr and Leifa battle against Equinox with Nova occasionally making suggestions. An explosion sounded from behind Rio as he managed to avoid a Shadow Ball. He dashed forward at high speed and jumped with Quick Attack, but Zephyr flew out of his path.

Meanwhile, Leifa jumped over Equinox as she came in with Peck. She then wrapped her vines around Equinox's wings as she landed on the Noctowl's back, but Equinox pivoted her head around and used Uproar in Leifa's face, causing her to let go and fall off. She landed in Zero's waiting arms. Rio landed on one knee from his missed Quick Attack.

"Are you even trying?" Rio asked as he stood up.

"Well I'm trying to give you a fighting chance, not kill you," Zephyr answered.

"Fair enough." Rio, Shade, and Zephyr's ears perked up as the bushes began to rustle. Out came River, who walked over to Zero.

"Good morning, River. Feeling better already?" Zero asked as he set Leifa down.

"Much better," River answered. "Actually, I came to ask you if you would let me be on your team."

"Er, time out, Zephyr," Rio told the winged Umbreon. "Zero, can I talk to you real quick?" he asked as he turned to his trainer.

"Uh… sure. What about?" Zero responded. Rio walked over and turned Zero away from River before pulling him down to his level.

"I'm not going to keep you from letting him join, but I don't think you should use him against Falkner," he whispered.

"One, who's Falkner, and two, why?" Zero asked.

"I saw him die fighting Falkner's Mega Pidgeot last night," Rio warned.

"Did you have a nightmare? Is that why you were up so early?" Zero asked skeptically. He sighed. "Fine, if it makes you feel any better, I'll just switch Pokémon when he sends it out if River's out," he conceded before standing up. He turned back to River.

"Can I join? I want to go see the world, and you've been so kind yesterday," River asked again.

"Sure, but you're going to have to help me collect eight badges so my parents will let me stay a trainer," Zero answered.

"Yes!" River said with a fist pump.

"Welcome to the team," Rio told River.

* * *

The Pokémon Center door slid open as Zero walked in, jacket draped over his shoulder and Shade right behind him. He was aware of the odd looks he and Shade were getting and chose to ignore them as he strode over to the Nurse Joy.

"I need my Pokémon restored," he told her as he pulled his Pokéballs (and a Heal Ball and Premier Ball) from his pockets and placed them on the counter.

"Alright, it will take just a few minutes," Nurse Joy responded as she smiled warmly. She took the Pokéballs before arranging them on the healing machine behind her.

"Didn't I see you at Cherrygrove the other day?" Zero asked.

"Hm? Oh, that Nurse Joy is my older sister," Joy responded.

 _They all look alike…_ Zero groaned mentally. "Oh, is there a Shinx trainer named Jack?" he asked.

"Oh, he's right in there," Nurse Joy answered, pointing to a pair of doors.

"Thanks," Zero replied as he ran over to the doors. He pushed them open as he and Shade ran through. He ran down the hall until he passed a window with Atlas and Jack behind it.

He saw Jack sitting at Atlas's bedside, and Atlas was wrapped in bandages with a few machines hooked to him. Zero opened the door and walked in with Shade behind him. Jack didn't even acknowledge Zero's presence. Zero clenched his fist as he walked over to Jack.

"I was afraid of this," Zero muttered. "Jack, show me how this happened." Silently, Jack pulled his VS Recorder out of his bag and handed to Zero. Zero turned on the VS Recorder and started the playback.

* * *

"Alright, we beat Falkner!" Jack exclaimed as a blue haired man recalled a fallen Pidgeotto.

"Don't celebrate yet, runt. I still have one more Pokémon," he stated. He threw a Pokéball, which released a large cream-colored bird with a pendant around his neck.

"What?!" Jack shouted.

"(I thought you said he only had _two_ Pokémon,)" Atlas pointed out.

"I _know_ I said that," Jack shot back. "Be careful, we don't know how strong they really are."

"There's no being careful about it!" Falkner said as he raised his arm, revealing a Key Stone on his wrist band. "Pidgeot, Mega Evolve!" Falkner tapped the Key Stone. Tendrils of light shot out from his Mega Wrist Band and Pidgeot's pendant.

The tendrils then collided as Pidgeot became engulfed in an orb of light that seemed to solidify. It broke away, revealing a larger body shape. "Oh great. Atlas, use Charge!" Jack ordered. The electricity already arcing around Atlas grew more intense.

"Not good enough! Pidgeot, use Twister!" Falkner ordered. Pidgeot flapped his wings, creating a twister, which sucked Atlas in and tossed him into the air. The Shinx hit the floor with a thud.

"Atlas, use Spark!" Jack ordered as Atlas got his feet. Atlas could only cringe.

"You're lucky you only have one Pokémon for me to mop the floor with! Pidgeot, use Air Cutter!" Falkner ordered. Pidgeot swooped down before flapping his wings, producing blades of wind, which bombarded Atlas at point blank. Atlas picked himself up off the ground again.

"Atlas, use Spark!" This time, Atlas was no longer cringing. He was cloaked in electricity as he rammed Pidgeot.

"Not bad, but not good either! Pidgeot, use Hyper Beam!" Falkner ordered. Pidgeot fired a beam of energy from his mouth, which created an explosion as it struck Atlas.

"Atlas!"

* * *

 _That look in Pidgeot's eyes. I've seen it before with the Shinx pack,_ Zero thought as he handed the VS Recorder back to Jack. _I wasn't able to draw out Rio's true power simply through damage earlier. I wonder if it only happens around certain enemies._

"…So, how's the Buizel?" Jack asked.

"Him? He's feeling much better," Zero answered. "What about you?"

"I don't know. If Atlas gets better, I'll train him some more and catch more Pokémon before I think about taking on Falkner again," Jack responded.

"Well after my Pokémon are restored, I'm going to go take on the Gym Leader. I've got a secret weapon that nobody would see coming," Zero said.

"Whatever happens to your Pokémon, just don't say I didn't warn you," Jack told Zero.

"Oh, don't worry about me. You should be worried about Falkner now that I have almost a full team with an Ice user," Zero replied.

"Unless Falkner has a fourth Pokémon that he's hiding," Jack shot back.

"I'll worry about that later," Zero responded. "I hope Atlas gets better," he said as he turned to the door.

"Me too," Jack said after he heard the door shut behind him.

* * *

As Zero walked into the gym, he couldn't help but notice the S-shaped pattern in the floor. Zero stepped onto the S with Rio and Shade right behind him.

"Stop!" Zero turned to see the speaker was a male trainer dressed in a blue suit and wearing a leather arm guard. "I won't let you face Falkner. Go Spearow!" The trainer threw a Pokéball, which released a bird with a brown head and red wings.

"That's what you think," Zero said as he pulled a Premier Ball out of his pocket. "River, use Ice Beam!" he tossed the Premier Ball, which released River, who shot an Ice Beam from his mouth at pointblank. Spearow was shot out of the air as River landed on his feet.

"Gr… Looks like it's up to Rod to stop you," the trainer said as he recalled his fainted Spearow.

"As if he could. Unless his Pokémon are much stronger, they wouldn't even be able to stand up to River's Ice Beam," Zero pointed out as he walked away. Soon, he came across another trainer.

"Well, well, it looks like you've beaten Abe," another trainer, presumably Rod, said. Looking at the trainer, Zero could see he was dressed in overalls in a yellow shirt. He also had a spiky green mohawk.

"Yeah, and now I'm going to take you down so I can take on the Gym Leader," Zero said.

"Don't get cocky, kid. Go Pidgey!" Rod tossed a Pokéball, and out came a familiar brown bird. River however shot another Ice Beam, shooting down the Pidgey before a command could be issued.

"Nice one, River," Zero complimented. He then grabbed River's Premier Ball. "Get some rest for the Gym Leader," he said before both the fainted Pidgey and River were both recalled. Rod however sent out a second Pidgey, causing Zero to roll his eyes as he pulled a Pokéball out of his pocket. "Go Leifa!" he said as he released the Chikorita.

"A Grass type? Are you nuts?" Rod asked.

"A second Pidgey? Are you nuts?" Zero mimicked.

"Touché," Rod responded. "Pidgey, use Tackle!" The Pidgey swooped down in an attempt to ram Leifa.

"Use Vine Whip just like you practiced!" Zero ordered. Leifa launched herself into the air with her vines, causing her to sail over the Pidgey. "Now Razor Leaf!" As Leifa flipped through the air, she swung her leaf send a flurry of razor sharp leaves flying after Pidgey.

Just as the bird was turning around, he found himself bombarded with leaves. "Not bad! Pidgey, use Sand Attack!" Pidgey dove after Leifa again, but changed his angle so that his wing scrapped the floor, flinging sand into Leifa's eyes. "Now Tackle!" Pidgey circled around and swooped at Leifa.

"Use Reflect, then meet him head on with your own Tackle!" Leifa, having mastered Reflect from her practice the previous day, projected a cubic barrier. She then charged head on at the Pidgey. As they collided, she was stopped cold in her tracks while Pidgey fell to the floor. "Let's wrap this up! Use Vine Whip hold him still and finish with Razor Leaf!"

Leifa's vines snaked around the fallen Pidgey's wings, constricting their movement. Next, she sent out another barrage of leaves, rendering the Pidgey unconscious. Leifa then gently set the fainted Pidgey on the ground before they were both recalled.

"Looks like you win," Rod sighed. "Word of warning, the Gym Leader hasn't been himself lately, so be careful."

"Being careful didn't get Jack anywhere against Falkner's Mega Pidgeot," Zero pointed out.

"Good point," Rod agreed. "Anyway, if you can, try and knock some sense into him for us. Abe and I are both worried about him."

"Oh I plan to," Zero replied. "If I lose, contact Viridian Gym. There's someone there that might help," he told Rod as an afterthought. He then continued forward. Soon, he came to a blue haired man in a blue gi. "Falkner! I challenge you to Gym Battle!"

"So another mouse has come along for my birds of prey? Fine!" the man responded. "I, Falkner, the Violet Gym Leader accept your challenge!" He pulled a Pokéball from his sleeve. "Go Pidgey!" He hurled the Pokéball, releasing yet another Pidgey. Zero grabbed River's Premier Ball.

"(I'm still not sure about this…)" Rio mentioned, eyeing the Premier Ball.

"Rio, you said Pidgeot, and this isn't even a Pidgeotto," Zero reminded him. "Go River!" As he tossed the Premier Ball, it released the Buizel. "Use Ice Beam!" River fired an Ice Beam from his mouth, but Pidgey dove under it.

"Not good enough! Pidgey, use Tackle!" Pidgey flew after River.

"(I can feel something coming from that Pidgey,)"Rio stated, attracting Zero's attention. River acted on his own and stopped Pidgey's Tackle cold with a well-timed Head-butt.

"(Zero, pay attention!)" River told Zero.

"Right, sorry River. Use Slash!" Zero responded. _Now that Rio mentioned it, I can feel it too,_ he thought as glowing white claws extend from River's front paws.

"Sand Attack!" Falkner ordered. Pidgey used his talons to kick the floor and throw some sand in River's eyes as the Buizel swiped at the Pidgey. This distraction caused River to miss. Before another command could be issued, Zero recalled River before pointing his Pokédex at Pidgey.

 _So this one doesn't even know Gust yet either,_ he thought as he grabbed a Pokéball. "Leifa, use Razor Leaf!" As Zero released the Chikorita, she sent a flurry of leaves raining down on Pidgey before landing.

"Pidgey, Tackle!" Falkner ordered. Pidgey pushed himself back into the air before diving after Leifa.

"Use Vine Whip!" Zero ordered. Time seemed to slow down as Leifa jumped over Pidgey as her vines snaked out of her neck.

As she summersaulted overhead, her vines shot under Pidgey's wings before wrapping around them. Time seemed to go back to normal as she completed her flip, swinging Pidgey over her head and slamming him into the ground as she landed.

"(I've wanted to try that all morning,)" she said.

"Lucky shot," Falkner said as he recalled his fallen Pidgey.

"Maybe," Zero responded as he recalled Leifa. _Since I returned River to his Pokéball, his Accuracy should be back to normal,_ he thought as he grabbed River's Premier Ball.

"Go Pidgeotto!" Falkner tossed a Pokéball, releasing a larger bird.

This feeling I'm getting from Pidgeotto is just like the Pidgey… Zero tightened his grip on the Premier Ball. "Time for Round 2! Go River!" Zero tossed River's Premier Ball, which released the Buizel.

"Blow him away with Gust!" Falkner ordered. Pidgeotto began flapping his wings, creating a miniature tonado, which sucked River in. "Now use Tackle!" Pidgeotto swooped in aiming to strike River before he could hi hit the ground.

"Use your tails stay in the air!" Zero ordered. Before Pidgeotto could land a strike, River began spinning his tails like a propeller much like a certain two-tailed fox, which stopped him just short of falling into Pidgeotto's attack. "Now Ice Beam!" River shot an Ice Beam from his mouth, which struck Pidgeotto in the back. It then encased the Pidgeotto in ice, causing it to crash into the floor. As the ice encasing it shattered, River landed. "Finish it with Slash!" River ran forward before lunging with his glowing claws, striking Pidgeotto just as he recovered.

The Pidgeotto collapsed forcing Falkner to recall it. "I hate to admit it, but you're not bad," he admitted before noticing Zero wasn't even paying attention. "Hey! I'm talking to you, brat!" Zero recalled River.

"I finally placed that feeling I was getting. The sorrow, the fear I feel from them…" Zero muttered. He shook his head. "Your Pokémon are suffering. They're worried about you just like your gym trainers!" he told Falkner.

"Enough of your stupid yammering!" Falkner grabbed another Pokéball. "The real battle starts now! Go Pidgeot!" Falkner tossed the Pokéball, releasing the large familiar bird. Just as Zero was about to reach for Zephyr's Pokéball, Rio let out a loud grunt as he doubled over, gripping his head.


	10. Chapter 9

Apologies in advance if what happens in this chapter seems anticlimactic.

* * *

Chapter 9: Violet Blues Part III

"I finally placed that feeling I was getting. The sorrow, the fear I feel from them…" Zero muttered. He shook his head. "Your Pokémon are suffering. They're worried about you just like your gym trainers!" he told Falkner.

"Enough of your stupid yammering!" Falkner grabbed another Pokéball. "The real battle starts now! Go Pidgeot!" Falkner tossed the Pokéball, releasing the large familiar bird. Just as Zero was about to reach for Zephyr's Pokéball, Rio let out a loud grunt as he doubled over, gripping his head.

"Rio, are you okay?" Zero asked.

"(Z-Zero, I can't-)" Rio cut himself off as he let out a primal cry out of pain. His form took on a blue glow as it began to change shape. When the glow faded, he was a Lucario again. As he stood, he looked to Pidgeot, and then to Zero as if asking a silent question.

As Zero stared into the blank look in Rio's eyes, he nodded. "Looks like my next Pokémon was chosen for me," he said as Rio moved in front of him. _The last time Rio was like this, he was able to use Force Palm, Ice Punch, Psychic, and Stone Edge. I think I can trust him with Pidgeot while I try to get Falkner to come back to his senses,_ he thought.

"Pidgeot, Mega Evolve!" Falkner tapped the Key Stone in his Mega Wrist Band. Tendrils of light shot out from his wrist band and Pidgeot's pendant. The tendrils then collided as Pidgeot became engulfed in an orb of light that seemed to solidify. It broke away, revealing a larger body shape.

Zero would think the crest and blue-tipped wings and tail feathers beautiful if it weren't for the situation. "Falkner, this isn't you, and you know it!" he told the gym leader.

"Please, as if you know me at all!" Falkner retorted. "Pidgeot use Heat Wave!" he ordered. Just like in two of his other moves, Pidgeot flapped his wings, this time creating a gust of fiery wind.

Rio seemed to have anticipated this as he punched floor, causing a pillar of stone to rise up and not only block the attack, but knock the Mega Pidgeot back with his close proximity. Rio then jumped up on to the pillar, then landed a chilling punch with a glowing fist.

"Think about your Gym Trainers. Think about your Pokémon. I don't know anything about you, but they do!" Zero pointed out.

"Enough of this! Pidgeot, Heat Wave again!" Falkner ordered. Pidgeot sent Rio crashing into the floor with another fiery gust. It was clear that Rio wouldn't be able to withstand another attack from Pidgeot even with his resistance to Hyper Beam's normal typing.

However, Pidgeot couldn't be capable of withstanding much more either. As Rio pushed himself onto one knee, he punched the ground, this time causing a pillar of stone to rise up under him, shooting him into Pidgeot with an Ice Punch. Pidgeot fell to the floor before becoming wrapped in a cocoon of light. When the light faded, he had returned to his normal form.

Rio formed an orb of blue aura between his paws. He then slammed the orb into the floor, causing a dome of aura to engulf the group. Falkner fell down to one knee as he gripped his head. Rio's eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed. He was bathed in blue light as he reverted back to a Riolu just as before. Zero ran forward before kneeling over Rio. He then rolled the prone Riolu over.

 _His breathing seems normal enough. I should probably get him to the Pokémon Center since he took that hit from Heat Wave,_ Zero thought. Falkner recalled his Pidgeot.

"I guess I should apologize to you and my last challenger," he stated.

"You weren't yourself. Your Gym trainers said so," Zero responded as he looked up at Falkner. He stood up as he recalled his Riolu. "Still might be a good idea to drop by the Pokémon Center and apologize to Jack anyway."

"But first…" Falkner pulled something out of his gi. "I give you the Zephyr Badge. You've more than earned it," he told Zero as he handed the wing shaped badge to him.

"One down, seven to go," Zero said as he deposited the badge inside his pocket. _Note to self: buy a badge case,_ he thought.

* * *

Zero walked up to the counter at the Pokémon Center and set down Leifa's Pokéball, River's Premier Ball, and Rio's Heal Ball. "I need my Pokémon restored. Has anything changed about that Shinx?" he asked the Nurse Joy.

"Not yet I'm afraid," she said as she took the three Pokéballs. Zero sighed as the Pokémon Center's door opened behind him.

"Where is he?" Zero turned to see Falkner approaching.

"He's this way," Zero responded before pushing through the double doors with Falkner and Shade behind him. "On the bright side, Atlas hasn't gotten any worse since I stopped by earlier," he told Falkner. Soon enough, they came to the room Atlas was in with Jack still at his bedside petting the Shinx's head.

He opened the door, but just as before, Jack didn't even acknowledge the sound of it opening. As Zero and Falkner walked in, they remained silent, Falkner having a sudden interest in the floor and Zero thinking about how to break it. Shade shifted his gaze between Falkner and Jack. Finally, Zero broke the silence.

"Well it doesn't look like Atlas hasn't gotten worse, so at least he isn't dying right now," he said. Jack nodded in response.

"How did your gym battle go?" he asked.

"I only had to use three Pokémon, so pretty well I'd say minus the parts where I found out Falkner's Pidgeot knew he Heat Wave and Rio passed out," Zero answered.

"He earned himself a Zephyr Badge, like the one I came to give you," Falkner spoke up. Jack jumped and whipped his head around. "I'm sorry for what I did even if I wasn't myself. If I was, I never would've even used Pidgeot."

"Save your apology for someone who cares. After all, you just said you weren't yourself back there. If that's true, then you have nothing to apologize for, but if it isn't then you don't even mean it," he said as he turned back around. Falkner placed a Zephyr badge next to Atlas.

"Still, I would've given you the badge after Atlas defeated Pidgeotto if I were myself. If you don't believe me, fine, go ahead and keep the badge anyway. It's not part of my apology, and I save Pidgeot for my stronger challengers." he pointed out.

"I'll take the badge when I defeat your Mega Pidgeot," Jack responded.

"You'll keep the badge until you can make me take it back," Falkner shot back. "Besides, you can still challenge me again even if you already have it," he pointed out.

"By the way, what's the last thing you remember before you started acting weird?" Zero asked.

"Well… I battled a challenger that used a strange Pokémon," Falkner responded. "The Pokémon was black as night with a white tail. It stood on two legs and had smoke-like plums billowing from its head and shoulders."

"Did it feel like you were trapped in a nightmare?" Zero asked as he reached for his Pokégear.

"Actually, yes. How did you…" Falkner trailed off as Zero began punching Nova's number into his Pokégear. Zero then put it on speaker, causing its ringing to fill the room.

 _Come on, pick up already,_ Zero thought impatiently.

 _"Hello?"_ Nova's voice sounded after picking up.

"Hey Nova, I've got something important to tell you," Zero said.

 _"Oh hey Zero! I've been trying to figure out what caused those Shinx to go crazy-"_ Nova started to say.

"Actually, I called because I have an update about that," Zero interrupted. "I'm at Violet City's Pokémon Center with Jack and Falkner now. The Shinx pack that Atlas was a part of mentioned being trapped in a nightmare. Falkner was acting weird until I defeated him in a gym battle and mentioned the same thing," Zero explained.

 _"Well if a human was caught in the same thing, then it must not be nature being thrown out of balance like I originally thought…"_ Nova said mostly to himself. _"Anyway, put Falkner on. I want to talk with him."_

"Go ahead. You're on speaker," Falkner told him.

 _"Oh good, that makes things much easier. Did you see what did that to you?"_ Nova responded. Falkner went on to relay the same information to Nova that he shared with Zero and Jack. Nova listened silently. After a few moments of silence, his voice came through Zero's Pokégear again. _"Well if I didn't know any better, I'd say the culprit was a Darkrai, but Darkrai don't have white tails like the one you described."_

"Darkrai?" Zero questioned.

 _"Darkrai is known as the Pitch-Black Pokémon, and is infamous for its ability to cause terrible nightmares just by being near someone that happens to be asleep,"_ Nova explained. _"Falkner, what did its trainer look like?"_

"I can't remember anything about what the trainer looked like. He probably had a Psychic to erase his trail," Falkner responded.

 _"Hm… Sounds like we're dealing with someone who came well prepared,"_ Nova replied.

"There's more. When my Riolu was faced with the Shinx pack and Falkner's Pidgeot, he evolved temporarily into a Lucario. Both times he created an explosion of aura. After that, both Falkner and the Shinx pack started acting normally. Unless Rio is a special case, other Lucario should be able to do the same thing he did while in his Lucario form," Zero explained.

 _"Interesting… So in that case Ronen might be able to do the same thing as Rio…"_ Nova's voice trailed off. _"Falkner, I need you to warn the other Johto Gym Leaders of your mysterious challenger. I'll do the same with the Kanto Gym Leaders and see if I can get in touch with Prof Oak in Pallet Town. He might be able to help with our investigation. Zero, you're taking on the Johto Leaders, right? I'll leave knocking some sense into any of them to you and Rio. In the meantime, my Lucario, Ronen, and I will head out to the other Kanto Gyms just in case after I get Blue over here to take back his gym. I'll call you if I find out anything else."_

"Will do. Thanks, Nova," Zero responded.

 _"Oh, and before I forget, I heard Bugsy managed to find himself a Scizorite. He's letting his challengers choose to face his new Mega Scizor after they beat him,"_ Nova mentioned.

"Cool, I need practice taking on Megas," Zero replied before Nova hung up. As he returned his Pokégear to his pocket, Jack stood up and clenched his fists.

"I am going to find who caused this, and when I do, I'm going to make them pay for what happened to Atlas," he said as he looked over his shoulder at Zero and Falkner.

"I swear you're not any better about this than Nova," Zero sighed. "He was going to kill a Pokémon Hunter just for stealing his Pokémon if she didn't return them."

"Yes, but were his Pokémon weren't in the same condition as Atlas is in?" Jack pointed out.

"Fair point. But still, you can't just go after someone just because they hurt you or Atlas," Zero replied. "I'll admit, stopping someone like that should be something to focus on, but it shouldn't be because of _that_. Heck, I'll even admit that I would be just as angry if I were in your position."

"I may not have much room to talk, but I agree with Zero. I'm just as angry as you are for what they caused me to do, but even if I could abandon my post as a Gym Leader, I can't let it blind me," Falkner told Jack. "Do yourself a favor and go to Sprout Tower when you have a Pokémon whether it's Atlas or another Pokémon."

"I was already planning on it if Atlas ever gets better," Jack replied.

"Meanwhile, I'm going to head down Route 32 after I spread the word about what I'm dealing with. You know, _before_ my Pokémon and I make the news again, but I'll wait to hear about anything about Atlas before I go through Azalea Town so you won't get too far behind," Zero told him. He then grabbed Zephyr's Pokéball from his pocket.

"Ready for another round of questions and storytelling?" he asked, looking at Zephyr through the transparent portion of his Pokéball. Zephyr nodded in response. Zero then released his hybrid Umbreon. "I'll see you later," he said to Jack before walking out of the room with Zephyr and Shade behind him.

When he got to the double doors, he carefully pushed one part way open. He stood there, quietly listening in on some of talking.

"Do you really think that was him?"

"You saw that Umbreon. Of course it was the kid from the news. Who else could it be?"

"But why did Falkner show up?"

"Think that trainer had something to do with it?"

Zero took a deep breath and pushed his way through the doors. "You know, instead of just asking each other these questions, you could just ask me," he pointed out. There was a stunned silence that lasted a few seconds before it was broken by the Nurse Joy returning Zero's Pokémon.

* * *

The first questions that were asked were repeated from his visit to Cherrygrove. This resulted in Zero retelling the story he told at the Pokémon Center in Cherrygrove City. After repeating story he told both in Cherrygrove and Newbark, he told them about how he met Jack, and what happened at his party. He then told them about his trip to Violet City and how he had stopped to take care of River.

He then moved on to how he found out about Atlas's condition and how much harder his Pokémon trained the next morning. He then told of his gym challenge, while leaving out the specifics about his battle with Falkner. He then told of the mysterious challenger Falkner faced and the unusual Pokémon that was used.

* * *

"If you see a trainer with a Pokémon that has a white tail that looks like Darkrai, get away as quickly as you can and contact anyone you know nearby that has a Lucario or law enforcement," Zero warned.

"If you don't have a Lucario, then how did you free Falkner?" a trainer asked.

"That's something I can't answer right now. I have to protect the Pokémon I do have after all," Zero responded.

"He's right," Falkner agreed from behind Zero.

"How long have you been listening?" Zero asked as he turned halfway around.

"Since the beginning. I was curious about Zephyr," Falkner answered. "I'll bet that the Pokémon from before was some sort of hybrid too. It probably came from the same lab that Zephyr did."

"(If it had, we've never seen it there,)" Shade said. Zero shifted his gaze from Shade and back to Falkner and shrugged.

"All Shade and Zephyr know about it is what we already know," he told Falkner.

"Hey, can I battle Zephyr?" a second trainer asked, changing the topic.

"Sorry, but a battle would attract too much attention. If Charlemagne found out, she'd teleport right over with her Claydol," Zero responded.

"Aren't you painting a bigger target on your back by telling us about that Darkrai hybrid?" a third trainer asked.

"Yeah, but if someone new comes after us, it might give us a better idea about the people who experimented on Shade and Zephyr," Zero pointed out. "I kinda wish I wasn't travelling without another trainer though. It sure would make this dangerous game a little safer," he admitted.

"So why don't you travel with someone?"

"Well, I'm going to be waiting to hear about Atlas before I go after my next badge, so I won't exactly be travelling once I make my next stop," Zero responded. "I think that'll be enough questions for now. I should get ready to head out while I still have some daylight left," he said as he looked into Rio's Heal Ball. The Riolu still appeared to be out cold.

* * *

 _"You are in need of power, and I am in need of a body. Let me borrow your body, and I will give you the power you need right now."_

 _"Are you sure about this? If you use that much of my power, you could lose yourself."_

Rio's eyes fluttered open for him to find himself seated in Zero's lap. _That dream again. This is the second time I blacked out and the second time I had it. Why can I only hear that voice and who was it that was speaking?_ Rio wondered. Then it dawned on him. "Did we win the gym battle?" he asked.

"We did, and Falkner's back to his old self," Zero answered.

"What about River?"

"Mostly unharmed," Zero responded. "We're ready to move on if you feel like you can walk." Rio nodded before hopping off Zero.

 _Now that I think about it, were those dreams? Maybe they're a small part of my memories. But who was it that it was talking to? Could it have been me?_ Rio wondered as he followed Zero out of the Pokémon Center. _Only one way to find out… I need to expose myself to Pokémon just like the Shinx and Pidgeot._ Rio shuddered at the thought of passing out intentionally.

It still was at least a possible lead he could follow.

* * *

 **I would've drawn out gym battle, but there was only so much I could do with putting Not-Quite-Rio up against a Mega Pidgeot that mostly knew moves that weren't very effective, which was an oversight of mine.**

 **Wait a second, no day counter? You know what that means! Stay tuned for what else happens later on that day. Until next time, aura master signing out!**


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: A Bit of Solace

"Is something on your mind, Rio?"

Zero and Co had just set foot on Route 32 with everyone excluding Shade and Rio safely in their Pokéballs when Zero noticed Rio seemed lost in thought. "(…I've just thinking about the Shinx from the day we met and Falkner's Pidgeot. You know the Pokémon I'm near before my blackouts,)" Rio admitted

"Speaking of them, what is the last thing you remember from before your black outs?" Zero asked.

"(…Well remember when you got that call last night about Atlas. You paled, and I could see yellow tendrils wrapping around you. I think I felt your fear too,)" Rio began. Zero nodded, an eyebrow raised. "(Well, with those Shinx and Pidgeot, I saw the same tendrils wrapped around them, red auras surrounding them like fire, and a dark haze around them too. And I think I felt their emotions out of control. I think they were too much for me all at once, so I get headaches and black out.)"

"Well… Honestly? I didn't notice I could feel the emotions of Pokémon around me until you pointed out feeling something off about Falkner's Pokémon. I couldn't even tell what Pidgeot was feeling though," Zero replied.

"(There's something I wanted to find out involving my blackouts, but in order to do that, I need them to keep happening,)" Rio mentioned. Zero and Shade stopped dead in their tracks, staring at the Riolu in stunned silence.

"(…Are ya really thinkin' about puttin' yaself through dat on purpose?)" Shade asked.

"I'm with Shade on this. Do you really think this is such a good idea?" Zero agreed. "I mean, those headaches are pretty bad just from the sound of it, not to mention the evolution that happens when you black out looks like it uses a lot of energy," he pointed out.

"(Well…)" Rio stopped in his tracks and turned to face Zero and Shade. "(I think I'm on the right track to figuring out who I was, or at least how I lost my memories, but I won't know for sure unless it happens at least one more time,)" he responded.

"And…? There's got to be more to it," Zero pointed out.

"(When I was out cold both times, I could hear a voice. It wanted to borrow a body for its power in return, and then I woke up. Both times, I heard it say that, but last time it warned someone that using too much of its power would make them lose themselves,)" Rio explained.

"And when you connect the dots, the voice, the black out, and that evolution, it sounds like you accepted the offer before you lost your memories, which explains why you don't evolve normally and so suddenly and why you don't remember what happens while you're evolved," Zero summed up.

"(Dat does sound very suspicious. Looks like we have a lead on your past,)"

 _And we have a possible lead on Shade's trainer too,_ Zero added mentally.

"(…So why did ya think you're on the right track again?)" Shade asked Rio, seeming to have already forgotten the Riolu's explanation. Rio and Zero simultaneously face palmed in response. Zero imagined Zephyr hanging his head inside his Pokéball.

 _I swear they messed up something in his head when they attached that armor plate to his forehead,_ Zero thought.

"(I think I see something,)" Rio warned. Zero followed his gaze and saw two small figures darting into the trees.

"After them. Find out who and what they were and why they were watching us," Zero ordered. Rio and Shade shot off after the two figures. Zero started after them as well, albeit a slower pace even with his skates. _Sure, they could just be a couple of curious wild Pokémon, but I don't want to take any chances,_ he thought.

* * *

Rio sprinted his way toward the fleeing figures with Shade right behind him. _Why do I feel this connection?_ Rio wondered as he slowly began picking up speed. _It's not the same as with Leifa, River, or even Zephyr and Shade. They just felt oddly like I should know them. This doesn't feel like that at all._ Rio had broke into a Quick Attack without noticing. _I think I can finally make them out now, and they_ still _don't seem familiar. Wait…_

The figures both appeared to be Riolu, like Rio, but they didn't seem to be the same color. As he got closer, he could see that the first was a brighter blue than he was, and where Rio had black fur, this one had light blue fur. The second did in fact have black fur in the same places as Rio, but she was red instead of blue.

"Hey, stop!" Rio called after the pair of Riolu.

"Oh great, they're catching up to us," the red one complained as she looked over her shoulder. "This is all your fault, Xander!" she shouted at the blue Riolu.

"My fault? How is this _my_ fault? I couldn't have known they would catch up to us this easily," the blue Riolu responded. "Oh well, I guess we can stop now." The pair of Riolu skid to a stop. Rio stumbled a bit before stopping.

Now that Rio had a closer look, he could see that the fur around their necks weren't cream colored like his. The blue Riolu had black fur instead while the red Riolu had white fur. The blue Riolu's eyes were blue much like the majority of his fur. The red Riolu's eyes were entirely bright blue.

"Who are you?" Rio asked.

"I'm Xander, she's my sister, Yuki, and we're Team Solace," the blue Riolu responded.

"Team Solace?" Rio questioned.

"That's right. We're a Rescue Team that helps other Pokémon who are in trouble," the red Riolu, Yuki, confirmed as Shade came to a stop.

"Did either of ya happen to escape from a lab?" Shade asked.

"No? We actually came from a land without humans," Xander responded.

"We've been watching your Riolu friend since he fought off those Shinx," Yuki mentioned.

"You were stalking me?" Riolu asked.

"More like scouting," Xander corrected. "We could use a Riolu with your abilities. If things don't work out with your trainer, you're more than welcome to join our team," he offered.

"Thanks?" Rio responded as he cocked his head. "Anyway, why do I feel a connection with Xander when he doesn't even seem familiar? I've met Pokémon I couldn't remember but still felt like I should know them somehow. Pokémon that also didn't even know me at all, but you, not only do I not recognize, you don't even seem familiar," he mentioned.

"Huh, weird. I thought the feeling that drew me to you was just my imagination," Xander responded. He put a paw to his muzzle as if he were thinking, but eventually gave a halfhearted shrug. "I've got nothing. Then again, I'm just weird," he responded. "I'd talk more, but I'm afraid your human friend should be catching up soon."

Suddenly, Yuki twirled on one foot and winked, sending hearts flying into Rio and Shade. Infatuated, they could only watch as the siblings ran off.

"Well?" The duo was snapped from their infatuation as they turned around to see Zero approaching.

"They were both Riolu like me, but they were different colors. They called themselves Team Solace and invited me to join their rescue team, but I'm not interested," Rio explained. "I thought I could learn something about myself from them, but I didn't have any luck."

"Well shoot. It'll take us a while to get back on track too," Zero commented. Then the bushes nearby rustled. A little girl tripped as she stumbled out of the bushes with bits of twigs in leaves sticking out of her unkempt pine-green hair, hitting the ground face first.

"Owwie…" she groaned. Zero and Rio stared in bewilderment while Shade wore a bemused smile.

"Well dat was random," Shade stated.

"What's a little girl doing out here?" Rio wondered aloud.

"Hey I'm not a little girl!" the aforementioned child snapped as she suddenly pushed herself back onto her knees. Rio and Shade gaped in shock. The child pouted, seeming unaware of their surprise.

"You can understand Pokémon?" Zero asked, addressing the Donphan the room.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I?!" the girl responded.

"Because you're a human," Rio answered.

"What does that have to do with it?" the girl asked.

"Us humans can't usually understand Pokémon even with a lot of practice," Zero pointed out. "Anyway, where are you from?" The girl's aquamarine eyes found a sudden interest in the ground.

"I don't know where I'm from," she replied.

"Cheer up, I'll help you find where you came from," Zero told her. He studied her a bit more closely. She was dressed in a white gown.

Like her skin, which was covered in strange markings that were barely noticeable, it was tarnished with dirt and mud. It also had a few grass stains and small holes where it was torn. It covered her down to her knees, and left her shoulders bare. Her face was also covered in dirt, most likely because of her fall. Looking at the back of her left shoulder, Zero could make out something tattooed in black ink.

"…C-14?" he read aloud. Then it clicked. She must've escaped from a lab. Locking eyes with Shade, he knew that he arrived at the same conclusion.

"That's my name," the girl responded.

"Hmph. Well it's a dumb thing to call a pretty young girl like you," Zero stated. "How about I call you Cia instead?"

"I like it. It sounds pretty!" the girl responded.

"Then Cia it is," Zero decided. _Still, the thought of someone performing experiments on an innocent little girl like Cia is pretty messed up. I can't let this continue,_ he thought. _…How do I keep getting sucked into these things?_ he then found himself wondering. "C'mon, let's try to get to the Pokémon Center so you can get cleaned up. I think we could use a bath by the time we get there."

363 DAYS REMAINING

* * *

 **Short chapter is short. I wanted to make it longer and include a trip to the Ruins of Alph, but I scrapped the idea when I realized that they would logically be closed off at that point in time. So instead, after messing around with a random plot generator, I added Cia to the cast and ended the chapter there to avoid a repeat of Chapter 6. I kept it separate from Violet Blues because it didn't seem to fit as part of the chapter. Anyway, until next time, aura master signing out!**


	12. Chapter 11

**Originally I wanted to release something special next, but I couldn't get it finished, so at the end of May here, I'm giving you the next chapter right now.**

* * *

Chapter 11: 110%

"Hang on, it's just a little further!"

Zero was skating his way toward the Pokémon Center while holding up Cia with his arms as she clung to his backpack. Shade and Rio were both following close behind in case Cia fell. Their destination came into view: the Route 32 Pokémon Center. As they came around the building, the group slowed to a stop. Zero sat Cia on the ground before they walked through the sliding doors. They promptly walked up to the front desk, where the Nurse Joy was waiting.

"Hello, how may I help you?" she asked.

"We need a room for a while. I have a friend over in Violet City whose Shinx is in pretty bad shape and need a place to stay until I hear from him before I move on to Azalea Town," Zero explained.

"I understand completely," Joy responded. She then pulled a room key out from under the counter band handed it to Zero. "We hope you enjoy your stay here," she told the group.

"Thank you." Zero studied the lobby. He could see a few trainers around, but none seemed to be paying him any attention. _Well this is unusual,_ he noted. With his room key in hand, he and the others walked upstairs.

* * *

After a lot of trying and failing get Cia to hold still, the duo walked out of the bathroom, with Cia's light skin and wavy neck length hair now clean and Zero soaking wet. At the sight of this, the Pokémon all found themselves fighting the urge to laugh.

"(Enjoy your bath, Zero?)" Zephyr commented, causing the others to burst into laughter

"If you guys think it's that funny, you all can be next," he replied in mock offense. He then knelt down to Cia. "Alright, I want you to pretend that you can't understand Pokémon while there's anyone else around. I don't want anyone that isn't our friend to know that you can understand them, okay Cia?"

"Okay, I won't let anyone know," Cia responded.

"Alright, I'm going with Rio to see if anyone has any extra clothes that fit you. You listen to Zephyr, Shade, and Equinox while I'm gone," Zero told her.

"I will," Cia replied as Zero and Rio left the room.

 _It was good that Fawkner went live with what I told everyone I've met so far. Over half of Johto and maybe even a good chunk of Kanto probably know our story by now and the Pokémon I'm looking after. As for Cia…_ Zero paused in his thoughts as he and Rio walked down the hall _. It's a shame that she didn't seem to have any parents or know where she came from. I wish I didn't have to keep getting sucked into these things. The more I get pulled in, the less smoothly this quest will go. And if I don't get all 8 badges, I won't be able to keep doing this either._

"Rio, why did it have to take me so long to become a trainer?" he asked.

"(Why? Is something wrong?)" Rio asked.

"It's just everything that keeps getting tacked on to my quest. First I'm responsible for one of the starters since I overslept, then I'm responsible for you because I saved you too, then there's the fact that I probably have Charlemagne hunting me down, and now I have to take care of Cia on top of it all," Zero listed off. "What's next? Am I going to fight an evil team like Team Rocket?" he questioned.

…Poor Zero really has no idea, does he?

"(Well if you started earlier, you would never have met most of us, and if you hadn't met me, you would never have met Cia, because you never would have chase after those Riolu and never would've gotten off track if you never met me,)" Rio pointed out. "(It was me they were interested after all. They said so.)"

"I just wish everything didn't get so complicated so quickly. I only just got my first badge, and I'm already way in over my head," Zero pointed out. "Oh, and by the way, if it wasn't for your nightmare, River might've died in my Gym Battle like you warned me. I wouldn't have believed it if it wasn't for the recording or how badly Atlas was beat up."

…

After having come down the stairs and into the lobby, Zero and Rio looked around. Then Rio spotted a red haired girl that seemed oddly familiar feeding three Pokémon. _There it is again, the feeling I should know someone from somewhere without having met them before. It's also not as strong as with members of our team, but I still can't help but feel I can trust her,_ Rio thought. _Now how do I get Zero to trust her right away too?_

After another moment of thought, he ran forward and glomped the unsuspecting trainer, surprising not only her and her Pokémon, but Zero as well.

"…Well this is random," the girl stated as she held the Riolu.

 _Zero, hurry up and get over here before I die of embarrassment!_ Rio thought.

"Sorry about my Riolu. He can get weird sometimes," Zero apologized as he walked over. "But then again, so can I."

 _Thank goodness,_ Rio thought as he looked at Zero over his shoulder.

"Well at least he's a friendly one," the girl remarked as she sat Rio down on the floor. Once he was back on the floor, he walked over to the three Pokémon.

The first was a yellow bird with plumage at the end of her wings that resembled pompoms. The second was a blue seal with a violent tinge with ruffle like growths wrapping around her tail. Lastly was a green Pokémon that seemed to have bouquets of roses for hands.

"I'm glad that moment of embarrassment is over with," he muttered.

"Any reason why you decided to glomp our trainer?" the rose Pokémon asked.

"I just wanted to get my trainer to trust her since he needs help with something," he responded quietly.

"Your name's Zero, isn't it? I'm Kalea. I moved to Azalea Town from Hau'oli City in the Alola Region last week," the girl told Zero.

"Really? That would explain your Pokémon and the white bracelet around your wrist," Zero pointed out.

"That's right. I actually ended up moving here in the middle of my Island Challenge. Since I didn't get to finish it, I decided to tackle the gyms here in Johto as well as the Pokémon contests that are opening up all over. Then maybe I'll head back to Alola to finish my Island Challenge," Kalea explained.

"So then you and your Pokémon are headed to Violet City?" Zero asked.

"That's right. We're starting from the very bottom," Kalea responded. "So how did you learn how to understand Pokémon?"

"Well actually, I learned it from two girls back when I lived in Viridian City. When I was younger, I met a blind girl named Emma with a Growlithe and another who couldn't speak a word to save her life named Carol. At the time, I didn't know she was mute, so I thought she was ignoring me. Then I started playing with the Growlithe and acting just like him too just to get her attention. Emma was either too busy laughing or didn't have the heart to tell me at the time, but I at least got Carol to smile.

After that, I learned about their connection to Pokémon. Emma was able to use her connection to see through her Growlithe's eyes. Carol wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer, but without her ability to speak, she was forced to find another way to give commands to her Pokémon in battle. She then figured out how to communicate her thoughts to her Pokémon with her connection.

After a few years, I finally got it down, but I guess it didn't take root the same way with me since I wasn't blind or mute. Just like them, I can understand them, but I also can sense their emotions. I didn't realize I could sense their emotions until Rio pointed it out during my gym battle," Zero explained.

"Hey Zero, forgetting something?" Rio asked.

"Oh, right! Kalea, I need a favor. I have a little girl with me now, and she needs new clothes. Think you can help?" Zero asked.

"Sure, I can make her some myself, but only if you battle me," she responded.

"Fine, I'll battle you, but on one condition: you have to use a Z-Move," Zero stated.

"Then you have to use Zephyr in our battle," Kalea shot back.

"Deal."

* * *

Kalea and Zero stood outside with Cia watching out the window with River and Shade. Kalea held a Nest Ball while Zero held Equinox's Pokéball.

"Ready?" Kalea asked. Zero nodded. "Go, Cori!" Kalea threw her nest ball, releasing the yellow bird.

 _So she's leading with her Oricorio. Looks like I picked right,_ Zero thought. "Go, Equinox!" Zero threw his Pokéball, releasing the borrowed Noctowl. "Equinox, use Uproar!" As Equinox flew through the air, she let out a loud cry.

"Take to the air and shut up that Noctowl with Air Cutter!" Kalea ordered. Cori jumped into the air and flapped her wings, producing blades of wind that flew toward Equinox.

"Swoop down, then ascend with Peck!" Equinox dove under the Air Cutter before shooting upward, scoring a hit with her glowing beak.

"Shake it off and counter with Hidden Power!" Kalea ordered. Cori recovered quickly as she form orbs of energy with her pompoms. She then hurled the orbs forward with a flap, striking Equinox in the back, causing her to fall to the ground.

"It was Super Effective?!" Zero gasped.

"That's right. My Oricorio's Hidden Power is Electric Type," Kalea stated.

"Equinox, get back into the air before they can land another hit!" Zero ordered. As Equinox pushed herself up off the ground, her eyes began to glow. Cori was suddenly stopped from circling overhead by invisible force before being flung into a tree.

"What the heck was that?" Kalea asked.

"Looks like Equinox just learned Confusion," Zero noted as Equinox lifted herself back into the air.

"Then I guess we can't take any more chances. Cori, use Hidden Power!" Kalea responded.

"Counter it with Confusion!" Zero ordered. No sooner than Cori had launched her Hidden Power, she was found herself being slammed into the ground. Equinox, not quite used to her new attack was too focus on defeating Cori and found herself being struck again before crashing into the ground once more.

"Looks like we have ourselves a stalemate," Kalea commented as she recalled her Oricorio.

"Sure looks that way," Zero agreed as he recalled Equinox. He and Kalea both grabbed a Pokéball.

"Kaimana, it's show time!" Kalea threw her Pokéball, releasing the shiny Brionne.

"You're up, Leifa!" Zero threw his Pokéball, releasing the Chikorita.

"Kaimana, use Bubble Beam!" Kalea ordered. The seal shot a stream of bubbles from her mouth.

"Pop the bubbles with Razor Leaf!" Zero ordered. Leifa swung her leaf, sending a flurry of leaves crashing into Kaimana's Bubble Beam.

"Use Disarming Voice!" Kalea ordered. Kaimana let out a melodious cry, hitting Leifa with a sonic blast. "Now try to slow her down with Bubble Beam!" Kaimana spewed another stream of bubbles at Leifa.

"Use Vine Whip, then counter with Razor Leaf!" Zero commanded. Liefa extended a pair of vines and launched herself into the air, causing her to sail over the Bubble Beam. Next, using the moment of surprise generated by her acrobatic feet, she swung the leaf atop her head around, sending a barrage of leaves cascading down on Kaimana.

"Nice trick, but we have a few of our own! Dance, Kaimana!" Kalea responded. On cue, Kaimana began dancing with Kalea dancing behind her.

"Pin her down with Vine Whip!" Zero ordered. Leifa began to use her vines to try and stop Kaimana as the seal danced around her, but each attempt Kaimana merely twirled out of the way or jumped over her strikes.

Then Zero noticed something. As Kaimana was dancing about gracefully, she was also blowing large bubbles that lingered in the air.

"Liefa, get out of there now!" Zero warned.

"Too late! Let's show them your big finale!" Kalea signaled. Before Leifa could react, Kaimana jumped into the air, slamming her tail into one of her bubbles, bouncing off it and into another while it came crashing down on Leifa.

She repeated this with the other three bubbles she created as Kalea twirled before letting out melodious cry, striking Leifa with a final sonic blast. She then flipped through the air and landed in Kalea's waiting hand, striking a pose.

"Show off," Zero remarked as he recalled Leifa. He then grabbed his remaining Pokéball. "I'd say it's about time for the main event, wouldn't you?" he asked.

"I'd say so," Kalea agreed as she recalled her Brionne.

"Come on out, Zephyr!" Zero threw his Pokéball, releasing the hybrid Umbreon.

"(Let's get this over with,)" Zephyr sighed. Then an orange device flew out of her bag.

"Hey, when do I get a turn?" it asked.

"Oh, right, you never seen my fourth Pokémon, Roto," Kalea mentioned. "Since it lives in my Rotom Pokédex, I don't really use it in many battles."

"So we're facing your Rotom? This could be interesting," Zero commented. Kalea snatched the Rotom Pokédex out of the air.

"Alright, let's go, Roto!" On her cue, the Rotom emerged from the Pokédex.

"Zephyr, take flight!" Zero ordered. Zephyr spread his large wings, and, with a mighty flap, launched himself into the air.

"Roto, use Shadow Ball!" Kalea ordered.

"(Bzzzt! This promises to be fun!)" Roto remarked as it formed an orb of dark energy.

"Block it with a Shadow Ball of your own!" Zero ordered. A similar orb formed in Zephyr's mouth. The two Shadow Balls collided in the air. "Now Dark Pulse!" Zephyr then countered with a wave of dark energy. Roto found itself blasted a few meters away.

"Knock him out of the air with Shockwave!" Kalea ordered. Arceus dangit, not this again. Roto, much like a certain Shinx, sent out a wave of blue electricity. Try all he might, Zephyr was unable to evade the attack as it struck his wing, sending him spiraling downward. He then crashed into the ground. "Now use Astonish," Kalea whispered.

Zephyr shakily pushed himself off the ground. While he was used to crash landing, even his usual landings were better than this one. As he looked up, he found himself face to face with Roto.

"(Boo!)" Roto shouted as he made a creepy face. Startled, Zephyr racked his claws across Roto's face, sending the Electric Ghost reeling.

"(Blasted ghost nearly gave me a heart attack,)" Zephyr remarked.

"Zephyr, your paws!" Zero exclaimed. Zephyr looked down to see that his claws weren't the same as before the experiment. In place of his normal claws were the talons of a Skarmory, which were still extended.

"(They were only attaching wings, so why do I have Skarmory talons too?)" Zephyr asked. He looked up to see that Roto was recovering.

"Use Dark Pulse at point blank, then use Bite!" Zero ordered. Zephyr fired another stream of dark energy, blasting Roto a few meters away. As the Rotom cringed, Zephyr closed the distance and bit down with his fangs before tossing it aside.

"Alright, Roto, let's give it one final strike with Gigavolt Havoc!" Kalea said as she brought her fists together. As she did this, a yellow gleam came from her Z Ring. She raised them skyward before lowering them to shoulder level. She then twirled with her arms outstretched before making a lightning bolt shape with them.

Once this was finished, a golden aura surrounded Roto. Roto then fired a large bolt of electricity, which crashed into Zephyr, catching the hybrid in an explosion of electricity. Zephyr collapsed, unable to continue due to his injuries. Zero recalled his fallen Pokémon before grabbing Rio's Heal Ball.

"Rest up in your Pokédex, Roto. You earned it," Kalea told her Rotom. Without hesitation, Roto zipped back into his Pokédex. She then grabbed a Luxury Ball. "Let's go, Rose!" Kalea tossed the Luxury Ball, releasing her Roserade.

"This might be tough. Go Rio!" Zero threw the Heal Ball, releasing the Riolu.

"(You know, I'm glad I'll get to remember fighting this time,)" Rio commented.

"You do realize that this is technically your first proper battle and you're up against someone who made it further into her Island Challenge than we made it in our Gym Challenge, right?" Zero asked. Rio grimaced.

"(I'm your last Pokémon, aren't I?)" he asked.

"Afraid so," Zero responded.

"(If you two are done talking, can we get started now?)" Rose asked.

"Let's open with Quick Attack!" Zero ordered. Rio dashed forward, a trail of light streaming behind him.

"Intercept with Weather Ball!" Kalea ordered. Rose formed a white orb between her bouquets, which she hurled directly into Rio's path, but Rio jumped over it as it crashed into the ground. Rio then slammed into Rose. Before darting away.

"Quick Attack again!" Zero ordered. Rio made a b-line for Rose.

"Counter with Magical Leaf!" Kalea ordered. Rose shot glowing leaves out of her bouquets. Seeing this Rio tried to swerve out of their path only for them to change direction. Try all he might, they seemed to follow his every move.

"(These leaves are just like Shockwave!)" Rio exclaimed just before the leaves caught up with him. "(Well I guess hit and run won't work,)" he commented.

"Well unless you want to get hit at point blank with her other attacks, you don't have many more options," Zero pointed out.

"(So we're basically screwed.)"

"Yup." Zero sighed. Rio picked himself off the ground and shook himself off. "Let's take them head on! Quick Attack!" Zero ordered. Rio dashed forward.

"Magical Leaf!" Kalea ordered.

"Use Endure to break through!" Zero commanded. _What is this feeling?_ As Rose launched another flurry of leaves, Rio jumped, bracing himself as he went straight through. Rio then slammed into Rose again. "Quick Attack again!" Rio hopped back before dashing forward again, slamming into Rose once more. _This thrill… Is this how Rio's feeling now?_

This time the Roserade found herself knocked off balance. "Point blank Weather Ball!" Rose threw out her arms as she launched a Whether Ball, knocking Rio back a few meters. He lay face down on the ground.

 _If it is, I don't want it to stop._ "C'mon, Rio, you can do better than that!" Zero called. In response Rio began pushing himself shakily off the ground. "Give it 110%!" Zero ordered as he punched the air. As Rio pushed himself back onto his feet, he was engulfed in a brilliant blue flame-like aura.

Through the thick aura, the collar of fur around his neck began trailing down his torso, leaving a black zigzag stripe around his waist. He also seemed to grow a couple inches taller. Dark patches seemed to appear on his hand-like paws.

"What just happened?!" Kalea gasped.

 _Well this is unexpected,_ Zero thought. "Rio, use Quick Attack!" Rio dashed forward, leaving a trail of aura behind him, but did something unexpected. Instead of using Quick Attack as ordered, he thrust his arm forward into Rose's midsection before she could react. She then found herself being knocked backward by a blast of energy. "On second thought, Force Palm, Force Palm, Force Palm!"

Rio dashed forward again before thrusting his palm into Rose's midsection. He repeated this two more times. Rose then fell to the ground before struggling to her feet. Meanwhile, Rio fell to one knee.

"Rio looks like he's Poisoned. Rose, can you go on?" Kalea asked. Rose simply nodded. "In that case, use Giga Drain!" Kalea ordered. Rose extended a thorny vine that was wrapped in green energy from one of her bouquets. She cracked it like a whip, sending a wave of energy straight for Rio.

"Use Endure!" Zero ordered. Rio brought his arms up, blocking the energy wave from wrapping around the rest of his body. He then broke free from the Giga Drain with a Force Palm. "Now Force Palm while you still can!" Rio dashed forward. Rose tried to move, but froze up in Paralysis.

Before his attack could connect, however, Rio collapsed. The aura thickened and hid Rio's form from view before dispersing and revealing Rio in his normal form. Zero fell to one knee, breathing heavily, before recalling the fallen Riolu.

"What was that?" Kalea asked as she recalled her Roserade.

"I don't know, but I think I like it," Zero replied.

"Well, whatever it was, it almost was enough to beat Rose," Kalea commented. Zero pushed himself off the ground.

"Let's go get our Pokémon restored. I think they all earned it," Zero stated.

"So this is who you wanted me to make some new clothes for?" Kalea asked as she studied Cia, who was playing with Shade and River.

"Yeah, and I think we're going to need something that hides most of those markings and the tattoo on the back of her shoulder," Zero mentioned.

"My aren't we picky? Not that I can blame you," Kalea remarked. "She does seem like the type that needs someone like you around. If that hunch of yours is right, you'll be in some deep Mudsdale poo if the wrong people find out she's with you."

"You said it, not me," Zero commented. "So how long do you think this'll take?" he asked.

"I'd say a few hours. By then it'll be lunch time and our Pokémon will be restored," Kalea answered.

"Sounds like a good time to make a few calls. I'll be back up to check on you two in a little bit," Zero stated.

"Take your time," Kalea replied.

"Ah, Zero. How's it going?" Prof Elm asked over the videophone.

"Weird. Fawkner was acting strangely when I battled him, and his Pidgeot was acting just like those Shinx my team fought off," Zero responded. "Oh and I met this little girl named Cia yesterday too. She had some strange markings all over her," he added in a hushed tone.

"Sounds like someone keeps getting more responsibility than he plans on," Prof Elm commented.

"Yeah, I can't but worry that I'm getting caught in the middle of something big. Is a simple life really too much to ask for?" Zero replied. "Anyway, how's the research going?" he asked, changing the subject a bit.

"A pair of trainers-twins in fact-came into town yesterday and both had Charmeleon. From what I've seen though, the only difference besides color with shiny Charmeleon seems to be behavior. Most Charmeleon are fairly aggressive, but the shiny Charmeleon was surprisingly docile especially by Charmeleon standards," Prof Elm explained.

"So in the end, just another quirk and not necessarily any extra advantages?" Zero asked.

"Unfortunately, but still interesting nonetheless," Elm agreed. "Oh, and before you ask, both trainers are boys," he added.

"Well shoot," Zero, said with a snap of his fingers. "By the way, I ran into a trainer from Alola with a shiny Brionne. She was pretty tough. Her Rotom even took out Zephyr. I'll see if I can send her your way in a while," he mentioned.

"Thanks Zero, I appreciate it," Prof Elm replied.

"Anytime. Anyway, I should probably call Nova and check up on him," Zero stated.

"Alright, I'll see you later."

"Okay, bye," Zero responded before hanging up. He then dialed the number for Nova's Pokégear.

"Hello," Nova's voice greeted.

"Hey, it's Zero. Any luck getting someone to take over for you at the Viridian gym?" Zero asked.

"Ah, not really. I did meet an interesting challenger though. Kid was a real life ninja. He had a Rowlett and a Skrelp. He's looking for a Greninja that he got separated from. I'll send him your direction once he's finished looking since you probably need all the help you can get," Nova explained.

"Thanks. I also ran into a trainer from Alola named Kalea that managed to take out Zephyr. I think I'm going to ask her to travel with me for a while in case I run into Charlemagne," Zero replied. "By the way, how did you know about Zephyr and Shade when we first met?"

"Hm? Actually I saw Suicune headed that direction with someone obsessed with it chasing after it," Nova explained. "Still, stranger things have happened," he pointed out.

"You're telling me. I ran into this little girl that looked like she escaped from a lab yesterday that I call Cia and today during my battle with Kalea Rio changed form. I'm not talking what happened with the Shinx and the Violet Gym. This was something else," Zero explained in a hushed voice.

"I can't tell if fate is being generous or cruel to you. Probably both," Nova commented. "Route 32 Pokémon Center, right? As soon as I'm free, I'll teleport on over to study Rio's form change. It might prove helpful in your little quest," he stated. "Oh, and if Charlemagne finds you while you're staying at the Pokémon Center or on the way to Azalea Town, give me a call and I'll chase her off for you."

"Thanks Nova. I need all the help I can get," Zero responded. "Anyway, Cia needs new clothes and I have Kalea making some for her. I should probably go check on them."

"Alright, I'll talk to you later," Nova said. A click could be heard as he hung up. Zero got up and walked back to his room. He then knocked on the door.

"How's it going in there?" he asked.

"So far so good, her clothes are coming along nicely," Kalea answered through the door. Zero opened the door to see that Kalea was working on a shirt with a sewing kit while River and Shade watched TV with Cia.

"Hey Shade, I've been meaning to ask you about your trainer. Her name wouldn't happen to be Carol, would it?" Zero asked. The moment he mentioned the name, Shade perked his ears up.

"(Yeah, now I remember! That was her name, why?)" Shade responded.

"Oh boy. Well we might have a problem. I actually know someone named Carol, but I can't exactly hear from her," Zero mentioned.

"Wasn't she the mute girl you told me about?" Kalea asked without looking up from her work.

"Yeah. I doubt she owns a Pokégear, so I'm not sure how to get ahold of her. You might like her though. She tends to draw a lot," Zero replied. "I guess I'll go back downstairs and call my parents. They might be able to get ahold of her parents," he stated.

* * *

A few hours later, Zero had already brought up lunch to Kalea and Cia along with Kalea's Pokémon. He had asked his parents to let Carol's parents know that he found her Umbreon. He sat in the lobby with Rio, Leifa, Equinox and Zephyr. Soon, Kalea came down with Shade and River.

"We're finished!" she told Zero. After she said this, Cia came down the stairs.

She now wore a gold hair clip to hold her bangs out of her face. In place of the gown she wore previously, she now wore a baggy white sweater that hung off her left shoulder, revealing part of a light grey shirt. She also wore grey shorts with white leggings underneath. A pair of white gloves and boots now adorned her hands and feet as well while a short scarf was tied loosely around her neck.

"Won't Cia get a little hot wearing all of that?" Zero asked.

"Maybe a little, but at least she won't get as many stares," Kalea pointed out.

"At least it beats that gown. Probably best to keep it for when those need to be washed though," Zero commented. "Anyway, there's something I've been meaning to ask you, Kalea," he mentioned.

"What is it?" Kalea asked.

"Well, it's just that I need all the help I can get if I run into trouble, and there's no doubt I'll run into Charlemagne after I go through Azalea Town. That's why I'd like to ask you to tag along at least until we get to Goldenrod City," Zero explained.

"Count me in. After all, I beat you, and if Charlemagne is as much trouble as you say, then there's no way I can let you face her alone," Kalea agreed.

"Yay! I get to play with Kalea's Pokémon some more!" Cia cheered.

"Thanks, I'm glad I can count on you," Zero replied.

* * *

 _…And that's about everything that happened today. I'm just not sure what to expect next. Clearly fate has something against me with giving me even more responsibility. I'm not sure how much more I can handle. Hopefully I can at least get Shade back to Carol. As for Rio…_

 _Well maybe our meeting wasn't a coincidence after all. Maybe it was actually fate. If that's the case, I guess I shouldn't complain about having Cia along as long as Kalea or someone else around can help me look after her. Having another trainer as a travel companion? Best piece of advice I ever heard._

 _Hopefully Charlemagne doesn't find me here._

362 DAYS REMAINING

* * *

 **And we end the chapter with part of a journal entry from Zero. How's that for something different? Expect some time skip next chapter, because otherwise we'll have a lot of filler. Until next time, Aura Master signing out!**


	13. Chapter 12

**Just so you know, this is the last chapter I have written, so it is also the last chapter I'll be uploading for a while so I can hopefully get enough of a head start when I'm ready to start uploading again. In the meantime, I thank you all for reading.**

* * *

Chapter 12: Resonance

Zero awoke early in the morning. Looking around, he saw that Cia and the Pokémon were still asleep. Dressed in his blue pajamas, he quietly got out of bed and nudged Zephyr awake. "I'm going to go downstairs to see if I can help with breakfast. You're in charge until I get back," he whispered.

"(Rodger that,)" Zephyr responded. Zero then snuck out of the room, quietly closing the door behind him. He then walked downstairs.

"You're up early," the Nurse Joy pointed out.

"I know. Need any help with breakfast?" Zero responded.

"We could always use some. If you like, you can help Kalea with making pancakes," Joy answered, brightening up.

"Huh, I didn't expect her to be up already," Zero stated. As he walked into the kitchen, he saw a few trainers making Pokémon Food and a few others working on cooking breakfast. He walked over to the stove to watch Kalea, clad in cloud print pajamas, throw away a burned pancake. "Need any help?" he asked. Kalea turned around.

"Oh, good morning Zero. I didn't expect to see you up so early," she responded.

"I said the same about you," Zero stated. He took his place beside her and flipped a few pancakes, rescuing them from a burned fate.

"Sorry if I'm not good at this," Kalea apologized.

"Don't worry about it. You just need practice," Zero replied. "Reminds me of when I used to help my mom with breakfast every now and then, except back then I was the one who burned everything," he mentioned. Kalea giggled nervously.

"Yeah, let's not do that here," she replied.

Over an hour or so of flipping pancakes and burning a few, Kalea started to get the hang of cooking with much needed help from Zero, allowing her fellow trainer to flip more of his own. They worked diligently until breakfast came around. Cia and the Pokémon met the trainers downstairs around a table.

"So, we've talked enough about me yesterday, and you knew plenty about me before. Let's hear more about you," he told Kalea before deftly smacking Rio's paw with a spoon without looking as the Riolu reached to try and swipe some pancakes. "I already told you that I wasn't going to spoil you. Besides, you probably wouldn't like the taste of these as well as your Pokémon food."

"(…Fine,)" the Riolu groaned. Kalea giggled as Zero shoveled a fork full of pancakes.

"Every time I see you and Rio at the table, I can't help but think of how a parent might treat their child," Kalea commented.

"Sometimes I feel like one," Zero remarked. "Anyway, what was it like living in Alola? I've heard about it, but I've never met anyone from it," he pointed out.

"Well, it's warm all year-round unless you're on Mount Hokulani. That's the only place in Alola that you can see snow. The Island Trials have been interesting and kinda fun too. Mallow's Trial gave me some trouble though," Kalea responded before taking a bite of her pancakes. "Hala gave me Kaimana back when she was a Poppolio, and then Prof Kukui gave me Roto. I caught Cori at Melemele meadow, and then I hatched Rose from an egg I got on Akala Island."

"I'd hate be the bearer of bad news, but you might want to be careful facing Fawkner later. He has a Mega Pidgeot that he might use against your team," Zero warned.

"I'll keep it in mind," Kalea responded.

* * *

 _Day 4_

 _I ended up volunteering to make breakfast with Kalea today at the Pokémon Center. We spent the day discussing battle tactics. Still no word about Atlas. I hope he recovers soon._

 _Day 5_

 _I ended up cooking again, but this time Kalea slept in to get some beauty sleep. River is completely over his cold now. I gave him some much needed training today. Still waiting to hear from Jack._

 _Day 6_

 _Today went about the same as the last too. Fortunately, there hasn't been any sign of Charlemagne. We tried out Rio's power again since not everyone between mine and Kalea's teams got to see it. Nova gave me a call letting know he'd drop by tomorrow._

 _Day 7_

 _Today Nova was finally free. He teleported over here using an Alakazam named Zam._

* * *

"Alright, let's see this new mysterious power," Nova said. "First things first, we need to examine you and Rio. My Lucario, Ronen, will help me do just that," he told Zero. The white and gold colored Lucario closed his eyes and the gold aura sensing appendages rose up. Then after a second, his eyes snapped open in shock.

"What is it?" Zero asked.

"(I need to double check. Give me a moment,)" Ronen responded. He closed his eyes again, once again studying the boy and the Riolu's auras. Ronen's eyes snapped open again. "(No way, that's impossible, and yet…)"

"What did you find?" Nova asked, surprising Zero and Kalea.

"You can understand him too?" Zero asked.

"Always have been able to. Let's just say there are some things about me that I need to keep secret and those secrets I keep well," Nova explained. "Anyway…" Ronen turned to his trainer.

"(Their auras… They're identical! Something like that should be impossible. You'd have better chances of finding two snowflakes that look identical. Every aura, no matter how similar, has some difference,)" he reported.

"Let me take a look for myself. I may not sense aura as well, but maybe my cybernetic implants can spot something," Nova replied.

"You can sense aura?" Kalea asked.

"I used to sense it every bit as well as Ronen here, but not anymore," Nova responded. The substitute Gym Leader closed his eyes for a few moments before opening them, revealing glowing starburst of blue and violet in his eyes. "Huh, I didn't think this would actually work. Anyway, I do see one difference. Rio's aura has something extra with it. Looks like Xerneas might have something to with it. That probably explains why Rio sometimes temporarily evolves almost entirely on his own," he reported. His eyes stopped glowing, returning to their normal violet color.

"I can't determine the cause of this phenomenon you mentioned a few days ago with this alone, but at least we know one thing about Rio's past," he mentioned.

"(What is it?)" Rio asked.

"Simple! Rio is Zero either from a different world or a different time; maybe even both!" Nova explained, stunning everyone.

"S-so then…. Rio and I are the same?" Zero asked.

"Not exactly, and that's even ignoring the whole Pokémon and human thing. Rio's experiences could be similar, but they may have also been much different!" Nova answered. "I'm afraid only time will reveal Rio's origins. Anyway, back to business, I think the next thing I need will be to watch a battle. First with one of your other Pokémon, and then with Rio," he told Zero.

"In that case, up for a battle River? You haven't gotten to battle any of Kalea's Pokémon yet," Zero pointed out.

"(Count me in!)" River responded.

"Alright, Cori, you're up!" Kalea said. The Oricorio and Buizel took battle positions. Nova's eyes glowed violet as he prepared himself for his observation.

"River, start us off with Slash!" Zero ordered. River charged in and extended glowing white claws.

"Cori, use Double Team!" Kalea commanded. Before River could strike, the Oricorio multiplied.

"Switch to Aqua Tail to find the real one!" Zero commanded. Water spiraled around River's twin tails as he pushed himself onto his front paws and began spinning them, sending whips of water through the fakes and sending the real Cori reeling. "Now Head-Butt then follow up with Slash!"

River brought his head down before launching himself into Cori's midsection. As the Oricorio was launched backward, the water weasel sprinted forward to keep the gap narrow before striking the yellow bird with white glowing claws. Cori then managed to right herself in the air.

"Use Hidden Power!" Kalea ordered. Cori launched an orb of energy at the Buizel.

"Send it back with Aqua Tail and follow up with Ice Beam!" Zero ordered. Water once again wrapped themselves around River's tails as he spun them. He swung them forward almost dancishly, catching the Hidden Power, before spinning around and hurling the orb back at Cori.

He then fired an Ice Beam at Cori for good measure while the Oricorio was still recovering, sending the yellow bird to the ground. Nova clapped as Kalea recalled her fallen Pokémon.

"That was some quick thinking your part. Now let's try a battle with Rio," Nova told Zero.

"(I'm ready!)" Rio responded eagerly.

"Bzzzt! I want a shot!" Roto told Kalea.

"Sounds like we have our Pokémon for the next battle," Zero stated. Roto came out of his dex and the duo took their positions.

"Rio use Foresight!" Nova opened his mouth to object, but shut it again after being cut off by Zero's order. Rio's eyes glowed blue. A shadowy aura appeared around Roto before being dispelled by Rio's gaze. "Now be careful Rio, Roto knows Shockwave."

"(Oh joy,)" Rio remarked sarcastically.

"Bad memories?" Nova asked.

"He had to deal with Magical Leaf the first time he fought Kalea's Roserade, and then Disarming Voice when he fought her Brionne," Zero explained.

"Ah."

"Anyway, let's start the battle with Quick Attack!" Zero ordered.

"Point blank Shadow Ball!" Kalea commanded. Rio dashed forward, but as he did, Roto launched a Shadow Ball at close range, sending the Riolu tumbling.

"Force Palm!" Rio quickly got to his feet and thrusted his palm into Roto's face, sending it flying. "Now Quick Attack!" On Zero's command, Rio bolted after Roto.

"Use Shock Wave!" Roto recovered and launched a wave of electricity. Rio quickly changed direction, causing the electricity to chase after him. He then slammed into Roto just before getting shocked by the Shock Wave. "Use Shadow Ball before he recovers!" Roto righted itself before blasting Rio with a Shadow Ball.

"We're not done yet! Give it everything you've got!" Zero commanded. Rio pushed himself back to his feet. Once again, he was engulfed in a brilliant blue flame-like aura. Nova and Ronen watched in awe as the Riolu changed shape.

Through the thick aura, the collar of fur around his neck began trailing down his torso, leaving a black zigzag stripe around his waist. He also seemed to grow a couple inches taller. Dark patches seemed to appear on his hand-like paws.

"Use Force Palm now!" Zero ordered. Rio quickly closed the gap and thrusted his palm into Roto's face, sending him flying backward. "Now Quick Attack!" Rio repeated the pattern from before, albeit moving at a faster pace.

"Quickly, use Shadow Ball!" Kalea ordered. Roto prepared a Shadow Ball, but Rio moved pass the Rotom and slammed into it from behind. "Time for drastic measures! Use Giga Volt Havoc!" Kalea ordered as she brought her fists together.

As she did this, a yellow gleam came from her Z Ring. She raised them skyward before lowering them to shoulder level. She then twirled with her arms outstretched before making a lightning bolt shape with them.

"Use Endure!" Zero called out as a golden aura surrounded Roto. Roto then fired a large bolt of electricity, which crashed into Rio, who had braced himself, causing an explosion of electricity. "Now Quick Attack!" Zero commanded. Rio dashed right into Roto, sending it to the ground. Kalea recalled Roto with a Premier Ball.

"Well that was interesting," Nova remarked. The aura around Rio thickened and hid his form from view before dispersing and revealing Rio in his normal form. Both Zero and Rio fell to one knee, breathing heavily. "Wouldn't you say so, Ronen?" Nova asked the Lucario as his eyes stopped glowing. The Lucario nodded.

"(From what I saw it looked like your auras were resonating with each other. I also could sense the emotions Zero felt being projected onto Rio and vice versa, causing them to reflect off each other,)" Ronen explained. "(I didn't find anything unusual with River's battle, probably because he doesn't happen to share as many similarities with Zero.)"

"So Zero can project his emotions onto Pokémon? Very interesting indeed," Nova commented. "It also stands to reason that you're prone to mimicking the emotions of Pokémon around you as well, so don't try to defuse a dangerous situation involving a lot of angry Pokémon," he warned. "Anyway, while Ronen saw your auras resonating during that second battle, I saw a spike in Rio's stats, which explains how he learned Force Palm early, unless it was an Egg Move," he explained.

"Couldn't have… He didn't… know any… when we met," Zero said between breathes.

"I also doubt that new power of yours is complete. Right now, it looks like a temporary partial evolution. As for what to call it, I think 'Resonance' has a nice ring to it," Nova suggested.

* * *

 _…Then he teleported away. Now I can't help but wonder what that other me, Rio, went through. Was he always a Riolu? If not, what turned him into one? What was his world like if he isn't mine? Only time will tell. I already know that Riolu can share their emotions with others thanks to my Dex. That might be part of what's causing Resonance. Maybe it happens because we're both trying to share our emotions with each other._

 _Nova came over here and gave me a few answers, but left me with even more questions. I doubt I'll get any sleep tonight. I feel too wired._

* * *

Zero walked to Kalea's room and knocked on the door. After a few moments, it was answered by a very tired Kalea. "What is it Zero? It's six in the morning," she hissed.

"I just got important phone call. Meet me in my room and then you can go back to bed if you want," Zero responded. 10 minutes later, Kalea walked into Zero's room to see his Pokémon and Cia waiting in anticipation as the trainer gazed out the window, arms folded behind his back.

"Alright, let's hear it. What's so important that we're all up early?" Kalea asked.

"As you all know, I've been waiting here for a friend. His name is Jack Powers, and his Shinx, Atlas, had been badly injured," Zero said calmly. "You're all wake right now because…" his voice trailed off as he turned to face the group. His expression then brightened. "Atlas woke up this morning and is expected to make a full recovery. I got the call from Jack himself this morning," he finished.

"Now that's worth getting up for. So I take it we're leaving today?" Kalea asked.

"That's right! We're moving on to Union Cave," Zero confirmed.

358 DAYS REMAINING

* * *

 **So, what did you guys think of the idea of using journal entries during time skip? Let me know, and I may do another one just like this in the future. Until next time, aura master signing out!**

 **PS: I also have a Kirby sprite comic on Smackjeeves. It's called Kirby Card Clash. Look for it if you're interested!**


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